Lost and Found
by Ryia-Black
Summary: Vince's cousin Sky returns to the team after six years away to rekindle her romance with Leon, but she brings trouble with her Please Read and Review!
1. What a Birthday

***This was my first fanfic and after rereading it, I thought it could be improved. So I am rewriting it. It's going to start out slow and give more history into the relationship between Sky and Leon. Hope you like it, please read and review. ***  
  
Chapter 1  
  
May 1994 Riverside, CA  
  
"Come on Sky, we're gonna be late." Leon called from his porch at the girl across the street. She raised her right hand flipped him off. "Very ladylike. Someday I'll teach you some manners." She mouthed the words "yeah right" and rolled her eyes. After securing the closure on her backpack, she slung it onto her back and ran across the street.  
  
"Why are you in such a big hurry to get to school? I think that we should just blow off class today. It's not like you turn sixteen every day, Birthday Boy."  
  
"We can't blow off exams."  
  
"Fine, I guess you are right. How does my face look?" She said holding back her hair for him to see.  
  
Leon ran his fingers along her right cheek tracing the black and blue marks under her eye. "It's swollen. Give me your makeup, you missed a spot." She handed him a small pink compact and he brushed the powder on the bruises. "What happened last night?"  
  
"The usual, my dad was off duty and drinking heavily and he just started going off. You know me always the wrong place at the wrong time." Leon handed the makeup back to Sky and they started walking towards school. "So what do you want to do for your birthday?"  
  
"A new life." He joked.  
  
"Don't we all. See you at lunch." Sky headed off to her Biology exam and Leon headed off to Spanish.  
  
~Later that night~  
  
Sky set a package in Leon's lap, "It's just not fair that you get to drive before me. I have two whole months to wait, sucks to be me."  
  
"Stop complaining. You know that I'll drive you anywhere you wanna go."  
  
"How about as far away from here as possible." Sky said with a sigh.  
  
"Soon girl, soon. We'll get away from it all. So what did you get me?"  
  
"Open it silly and find out."  
  
Leon lifted the lid of the box revealing a velvet pouch, "You better have not spent too much on me." He pulled open the bag to find a silver chain inside.  
  
"You are so hard to buy for, you know that."  
  
He wrapped his arms around her and gave her a kiss on the cheek, "Thank you. Damn, now I have to get you something nice for your birthday."  
  
Sky smiled at him, "You better get me something nice." In the distance Sky heard her father calling for her. "I have to go. I'll radio you later after the drunk passes out."  
  
Sky slowly walked into the front door of her house. Her mom was in the kitchen and her dad was sitting in his recliner. He had been drinking and was in a foul mood. She tried to head for the kitchen, but he stopped her. "Look at the way you are dressed. How many times have I told you about showing so much skin? You look like a slut just like your mother."  
  
"It's too hot outside to wear pants." She said without thinking of his reaction.  
  
Her dad jumped out of his chair and grabbed her by the hair, "What did you say to me? You will speak to me with respect you little whore." He slapped her across the face.  
  
"Daddy please don't hurt me."  
  
He ignored her pleas, threw her to the floor and kicked her in the face and chest. Sky's mother grabbed his arm to stop him, but he shoved her down onto the floor. "I will not take this from you. You like to dress like a slut, then I'll treat you like a slut." He pulled her off the ground and ripped her shirt open. "Daddy no please." She screamed as he tried to grope her breasts. "What's wrong doesn't the little whore like it?" She broke free and ran to her room, locked the door and pushed the dresser against it.  
  
Sky lay in the darkness until the house to became quiet. She grabbed the two-way radio on her nightstand, "Leon are you there?"  
  
"Hey girl."  
  
"How did the rest of your party go?"  
  
"Great until Mom spilled Dad's beer. He went ballistic and blacked her eye. I swear someday I'm gonna kill him."  
  
"Is she ok?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Leon promise me someday that we will get our moms away from here."  
  
"I promise as soon as I can get some wheels we'll get them outta here."  
  
Sky heard a noise come from the hall, "I have to go now, good night Leon."  
  
"Good night Sky." 


	2. Friends and Lovers

Chapter 2  
  
July 1994  
  
"I can't believe my baby turns sixteen tomorrow." Sky's mom, Mrs. Thomas, said as she zipped Sky's dance costume up. "Turn around and let me see how you look." Sky twirled around like a ballerina.  
  
Laughter rang out from the open door, "Tinkerbell, you do exist." Leon was dancing in the hall mimicking Sky.  
  
"Thanks Leon. Like I don't feel stupid enough in this outfit. Why do dance costumes have to be so prissy? Seriously Mom I can't do this. Everyone is going to crack up when I step on stage."  
  
"Now Leon be nice and Sky no one is going to make fun of you." Mrs. Thomas tried to reassure her.  
  
"Sorry," he said looking down at the ground. "Just kidding Sky. You know you look great."  
  
Sky laughed, "At least I don't have to wear a tutu."  
  
"Now that would be something to see." Leon said winking at Sky knowing deep inside she wanted to kill him.  
  
"Keep it up Leon. You are just begging for me to hurt you." Smiling, Sky moved over to him, "Since you are being such a helpful guy today, let's see if you can do some of the steps. I need help rehearsing."  
  
Leon backed away from her, "No way. Don't even think about it."  
  
Mrs. Thomas walked behind him and pushed him towards Sky, "What a great idea. I'll go and fix us some lunch while the two of you rehearse."  
  
Sky took his left hand and placed it on the small of her back. Then took his right hand in hers. Slowly she taught him the steps and they moved together around the room.  
  
~Midnight~  
  
A voice came across the radio on her nightstand, "Skylar Elizabeth Thomas, wake up. Come on girly wake up."  
  
Groggily she answered, "What is it?"  
  
The voice on the other end was laughing, "Look out the window sleepy head."  
  
She pulled the covers to the side and slipped out of the bed. Pulling the window open, she saw Leon standing in the middle of the street, "Climb down, I have a surprise for you."  
  
"Are you crazy?" She already knew the answer to that question, "hell yeah." She slipped her shoes on and began to climb down the lattice. He was at the bottom to help her down. "Leon do you realize that it's midnight?"  
  
"Yep, Happy Birthday. You want your surprise now or later?"  
  
"Now of course."  
  
"Well then come on." He led her to his backyard where he had a blanket spread out on the ground. "Thought we could do some star gazing together. Oh and one more thing." Leon walked over to a basket and pulled out a small cake. "No birthday is complete without a cake."  
  
"This is the best gift I think I have ever got. Thank you." She gave him a big hug.  
  
"It's just the beginning. We are spending the whole day together and I have more gifts, but you have to wait until daylight for them." They lay together on the blanket and she pointed out the constellations to him.  
  
~Next Morning~  
  
Mrs. Thomas knocked on Sky's bedroom door, but got no answer. She opened the door and found Sky sound asleep with the two-way in her hand. "Spent the night talking again did you? Time to get up young lady." Sky said something unintelligible and pulled the covers over her head. Mrs. Thomas pulled the covers off the bed. "That's not going to work." She took the radio from Sky, "Leon time for you to get up too."  
  
"Mrs. Thomas, is that you?"  
  
"Yes it is. I'm trying to get Sky out of bed."  
  
"Sky get your rear out of bed, we have things to do. I am coming over right now and you better be getting ready."  
  
Sky sighed, "Fine I am up."  
  
"That's my happy little girl. How about opening one of your gifts?" She handed Sky a box with a blue ribbon. Inside she found a black bikini. Sky gave her a confused look. "Just don't wear it when your father is around, you know how he is."  
  
"Thanks Mom." Sky ran to the bathroom to change. Leon was waiting for her when she came out. He just smiled when he saw her. "What? Haven't you ever saw a bathing suit before? I am going to put some shorts on and then I'll be down." He nodded and headed down the stairs. Sky slipped on a pair of shorts and a tank top. Looking in the mirror, she barely recognized herself. She thinks it's a good thing her dad is asleep or this would get her beat to death. Mrs. Thomas and Leon were sitting at the table when she walked in the kitchen. "Ready to go?"  
  
"Sure girl. Let's go."  
  
"Just one more thing before you two leave, Sky I have another present for you. Here open this." She handed Sky a small box. Sky opened the box and pulled out a key chain with one key attached, a key to a Honda. "The car will be delivered tomorrow. Your cousin is driving it down from L.A. He wanted to add a nice stereo as a birthday present for you."  
  
"This is great. V didn't work on it did he?"  
  
"Actually he had a friend help. His friend's dad owns a garage and V assures me that the car is in great condition."  
  
Sky looked at Leon and he instantly knew what was going through her mind. Tomorrow they would be long gone with their mothers to start a new life far away. The three of them walked out of the house together. "Sky, why don't you and your mom stand together so I can take a picture?" They put an arm around each other and Leon snapped the photo.  
  
"Well we better get going. I love you Mom. See you tonight." Sky gave her mom a kiss goodbye and headed down the street with Leon. "Leon where are we going?"  
  
"Huntington Beach. I paid some guy to borrow his car so we could spend the day at the ocean. Well we better get a move on." A man was waiting at the top of the block for them. "Hey man, thanks for letting me use the car."  
  
"Who is the pretty lady?"  
  
"My best friend Sky and don't even think about hitting on her. She's with me."  
  
"No problem Leon. Take care of my car and I'll see you later." With that the guy got into a car with another guy and they took off.  
  
"Touchy are we Leon."  
  
"I know that guy and he's bad news. I didn't want him to bother you."  
  
"Ok if that's all it was." She winked. After a long drive, they arrived at the beach. "Hey race you to the water." She took off her shirt and jumped out of the car. Leon sat in shock. When her shorts came off, he bolted from the car after her. A few feet from the water he caught her and swept her into his arms. He walked into the water and threw her in. She got up and tried to trip him, but he ended up dunking her again. She wiggled away and splashed him in the face. He dove in and swam after her. Grabbing her foot, he pulled her close to him. Their eyes met and only inches separated them. Leon loosened his grip and Sky slipped away from him.  
  
She made her way back up to the car to dry off. Leon walked up slowly behind her. She turned around to face him, "Leon, I....." Before she could finish his lips had met hers. His tongue slipped past her lips and playfully danced around her mouth. He pulled her body tightly into his and he placed sweet kisses on her cheek. As his lips moved down her neck and she let out a moan. He moved back up her neck and nibbled gently on her ear lobe. Her heart felt like it was going to beat out of her chest. She felt tingles of excitement run down her spine.  
  
Leon pulled back and looked into her eyes. They are both breathing heavily. He brushed a stray hair away from her face, "You are so beautiful." She felt a blush come across her face and she shifted her eyes downward. He raised her chin; "Maybe we should go back and cool off in the water before things get too heated."  
  
"Good idea." She took his hand and led him back down to the water.  
  
They swam for a while longer and then decided to go get something to eat. After lunch Leon drove to a secluded spot overlooking the ocean. He laid a blanket on the hood of the car and helped Sky up. He gently kissed her bare shoulder. She lay back against the windshield and he kissed her lips. His hand moved over her stomach and across the top of her shorts, slowly moving inside. Her hands roamed his bare chest. She moved close to the button of his pants when he stopped her, "Sky, we can't do it like this." Sky sat up and pulled away from Leon. "No you don't understand. You deserve so much more. I don't want our first time to be on the hood of a car."  
  
"Leon, I don't care where we are as long as we are together."  
  
"I want it to be perfect for the both of us. Can you wait just one more day? Once we are in a new place with our moms, I will give you the most special night of our lives."  
  
"I can wait. I want it to be special too. That doesn't mean that you have to stop kissing me though."  
  
"So you want more kisses huh? Come here." 


	3. Birthday Present from Dad

Chapter 3  
  
Sky's head rested on Leon's shoulder as they watched the sunset together. A moment of peace they both desperately needed. Soon they would head home. "So Leon where are we headed tomorrow?"  
  
"Where do you wanna go?" He said while twirling a strand of her golden hair around his finger.  
  
"Great leave the decision up to me. Hell I don't know. I say we just start driving and end up where we end up." Her only wish was to be somewhere safe; somewhere her mother could live in peace.  
  
"Sounds like a plan."  
  
"I can't wait to see what V did to the car. I'm sure it will have everything. He's kinda into racing and shit."  
  
"Well if the car's gonna be all hooked up, then I'm doing the driving. Your driving scares me in a little 4 cylinder, I don't even want to imagine what you do with some real horsepower."  
  
"Shut up. My driving is a hell a lot better than yours. Least I didn't get a ticket the first time I drove." Sky loved to rub that in every time.  
  
Sky sat up and started to slide off the hood when Leon grabbed her arm, "Not just yet baby girl, I have one more gift for you." He jumped off the hood and pulled a small bag out of the backseat. "Close your eyes and hold out your hand." She closed her eyes slightly. "No peeking. It's supposed to be a surprise." She closed them tightly and put out her left hand. Leon placed the gift in her hand. "Open those beautiful blue eyes and tell me what you think."  
  
Sky looked down at her hand seeing a silver necklace with a heart-shaped pendant; in the center of the pendant one single diamond glittered in the sunlight. "Damn Leon, you know I was kidding about the whole "you better get me something nice" thing. This is too expensive."  
  
"Why don't you try it on? Here hand it over I'll put it on ya." She lifted her hair and he placed the chain around her neck. Securing the clasp, he ran his fingers down her neck and placed kisses behind her ear. "Turn around and let me see how it looks." Sky let her hair down and turned to face Leon. "Nice. I like the way it sits between your...ah." He said looking down at her breasts. He ran his finger along the bottom of the pendant.  
  
"Perv." She says hitting him on the arm.  
  
The drive home was quiet. Both of them were nervous and excited. One more night is all they had to get through and freedom would be theirs. Leon turned onto their street and pulled to the curb. Sky leaned over and kissed him, "It sucks that this night has to end." She slid her body over to the driver's side and straddled Leon. "Kiss me." He happily obliged her request slipping his tongue deep in her mouth. With a deep hunger he pulled her body into his. Sky broke away from his kiss and bit hard on his neck. He let out a fierce growl and pushed her down on the front seat. Forcefully, she pulled him down on top of her. Their lips met in a hard and lustful embrace. His hand fumbled with the button on her jean shorts. Just as he undid the zipper a car drove by and brought them both to the reality of where they were. Panic set in. Sky sat up and tried to straighten her hair. "Oh God. Do I look ok?" She saw from Leon's frighten expression that she didn't.  
  
"Shit. You've got scratches all over. Here." He took his shirt off and handed it to her. "Put it on and that should take care of it."  
  
Inside she was screaming afraid of her father's reaction. "I got to go. Can't wait to be far from here. I don't wanna go home, I wanna be with you."  
  
"Tomorrow we'll be gone." They got out of the car and walked hand in hand down the street. They reached Sky's house and he pulled her into his arms. Something just didn't feel right to him. He had never feared for her as much as he did that night. They kissed goodnight and he watched her walk into the house. He turned and headed across the street to his house. His mom was sitting in the living room watching TV. "Hey."  
  
"Did you have a nice time?" He knew she wanted details.  
  
"Yeah, it was great." He was purposely vague.  
  
She was not amused, "What happened? Did she like your gift? Did you tell her how you feel about her?"  
  
"Damn woman. You're nosey. Let see. We went swimming and ate food. Then I gave her the necklace."  
  
"Leon Andrew Davison, you tell me right now." She said with annoyance in her voice.  
  
"She loved it and yeah you can say that we're together now." His mom placed her hands over her mouth and squealed. Leon shook his head at her. "Don't start planning the wedding just yet. We have things to talk about me and you."  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"I need for you to pack a bag. One bag, that's it. We are leaving tomorrow as soon as Sky's cousin brings the car."  
  
"Leon I can't just pick up and leave everything behind."  
  
"Bullshit, you can't stay here and get your ass kicked every time he gets drunk. We leave tomorrow. Mrs. Thomas is coming too. We are going to start new lives away from here."  
  
"I'll start packing right away."  
  
"I love you Mom."  
  
"I love you too."  
  
~Across the street~  
  
Sky's father was sitting in his chair when she walked in the door. "Get up to your room, young lady. I will deal with you shortly."  
  
She ran up the stairs and right into her mother. "What's going on Mom?"  
  
Mrs. Thomas took Sky's hand in hers, "Don't worry baby. He's just in a bad mood. Go to your room and get some sleep." She started down the steps, "Oh and I put the rest of your presents under your bed."  
  
Sky whispered, "Thanks Mom." She walked into her room and closed the door, plopped down on the bed and began searching underneath. She pulled out the largest box and tore off the wrapping. Inside she found a beautiful homemade quilt with white lace edging.  
  
Outside her room, she heard her parents arguing. Really nothing unusual in that, she ignored them and went back to the packages. As she reached for another box, her door burst open. Her dad grabbed her by the hair and pulled her into the hallway. He held a gun to her head. The cold steel was pressed hard against her forehead. She wanted to scream, but couldn't find her voice. She sat frozen in fear. Mr. Thomas pulled her shirt off and released her. "You wear his shirt. Look at yourself marks all over your body. You had sex with that boy tonight didn't you? How many others? How many? Tell me now." He said as he smacked her across the face with the butt of the gun.  
  
"Oh God, Daddy I haven't been with anyone. I promise." She said holding her cheek.  
  
He hit her again across the face with the gun, "Lying bitch. You are going to hell." He cocked the gun and looked into her eyes. "Do you deserve to live you filthy whore?" Mr. Thomas squeezed the trigger. Sky's mother jumped in front of Sky as the gun went off, striking her in the chest.  
  
"Mom," Sky screamed, but there was no response. Mrs. Thomas' limb body lay across Sky's lap. "Mom open your eyes. Don't you leave me. Please." Sky got up and tried to make for her room. As she reached the door a burning pain tore through her back and chest. Sky touched her chest. Blood flowed into her hand. Her knees buckled. She saw the radio out of the corner of her eye lying on the floor of her room and began to crawl towards it. Her father stood over her and fired another bullet into her back. It felt like fire rushing through her chest. She was choking and could taste blood in her mouth. Everything was dark. Faintly she could hear laughing. She heard another shot and then nothing.  
  
Leon bolted through the door of the house, "Sky........where the hell are you? Girl you better answer me." He climbed the stairs and found the three bodies lying in the hall. "Shit. Shit. What the hell?" He raced back down the stairs and called 911, "Yeah um I need an ambulance. My friend and her mom are.........I think they're dead. There's blood everywhere and no one's moving. Just get here now." 


	4. Hold On

Chapter 4  
  
Sky became aware of someone near her. A familiar voice was whispering to her. She slowly opened her eyes and saw those green eyes staring back at her. Leon was afraid and it showed on his face. She couldn't grasp what had just happened and wanted to wake from the nightmare. He held her tight in his arms. She felt tired and began to close her eyes. "No you don't. Girl stay here with me. Sky you need to stay awake, the ambulance is on the way." The pain was unbearable; she tried to focus on his voice and his eyes. Blood filled her mouth and streamed from the corner. Darkness surrounded her and her sight became hazy. Leon shook her bringing her back to consciousness.  
  
Two police officers entered the hall. The older officer screamed at Leon to put his hands up. "If I move my hand she'll bleed to death, idiot. Where the fuck are the paramedics? Get'em up here now."  
  
The younger officer stepped forward, "Can you tell me what happened?"  
  
"She's dying. Help her." Leon pleaded.  
  
The officer shined his light on her, "Do you know who shot her?"  
  
"No. Look you can ask this shit later. Get on the radio and get the paramedics up here."  
  
The officer grabbed his radio, "Dispatch this is Officer Michaels, send in the medic squad. The scene is secured."  
  
Leon pulled her close and whispered in her ear, "Don't you go and die on me. I need you. Baby do you hear me?" Sky made no response. "God, don't take her. I love her."  
  
The medics rushed up the stairs and started working on Sky. They took her from Leon and placed her on a stretcher. In a flash they had her down the stairs and into a waiting ambulance. The sirens blared as the vehicle sped away. Officer Michaels asked Leon to move down to the living room with him. Leon watched as coroner place Mrs. Thomas' body in a black bag. The world was moving in slow motion. Officers were taking pictures all around him and people were running in different directions. Leon sat down on the couch and stared at the blood on his hands. Officer Michaels placed his hand on Leon's shoulder, "I know this is hard, but we need to know as much information as possible."  
  
Leon looked at him with tears in his eyes, "Can ya give me a few minutes. My girlfriend was just shot." Officer Michaels nodded and walked into the kitchen to speak with his supervisor. He came back moments later. He asked again what had happened. "I heard gun shots coming from the house. They were all lying in the hall."  
  
"Son, did you see anyone run from the house?"  
  
"No. Sky and her mom didn't have to be afraid of strangers; there was enough danger at home. You know he fuckin' did it. Why you even bother asking me? He shot'em."  
  
Officer Michaels looked away, "To believe that a fellow officer could do something so wrong, it's difficult."  
  
"You didn't know him. They lived everyday in fear."  
  
"Why didn't they report it?"  
  
"Mrs. Thomas did report it. Damn cops told her that it was a family matter. Now she's dead and Sky may die too."  
  
Leon's mother was standing on the porch trying to get in to the house. She watched as they removed two bodies from the house. "I need to get inside. My son's in there." An officer led her into the living room. She found Leon sitting on the couch covered in blood. "Leon, are you hurt?"  
  
He walked over to her, his eyes filling with tears, "I'm not hurt. We need to get to the hospital." She nodded and they left together.  
  
~At the hospital~  
  
Leon watched the monitor as the line peaked and fell, watching each heartbeat. He sat in a chair beside Sky's bed. His mother had already gone home leaving him to his vigil. He held Sky's hand in his, wanting so much for her eyes to open. Leon brushed a few stray hairs away from her face and softly touched her skin. Thoughts of "what if" ran through his head. What if they had left this morning? What if they hadn't come back from the beach? The door creaked open causing him to jump. A nurse entered the room, "Sorry I didn't mean to disturb you. I just need to give her some medication." The nurse shot a couple of syringes into Sky's IV line. "Is there anything I can get you before I go?"  
  
"No. Thanks though. Is she's gonna ever open her eyes again?"  
  
The nurse sighed, "Your friend lost a large amount of blood and there was significant damage to her right lung. She has held on this far, that's a good sign. No one knows for sure in cases like your friend's. I need to finish my rounds, but if you need anything tonight just let me know ok."  
  
"I will. Thanks." The nurse left the room and Leon turned his focus back to Sky. Her once tan skin had turned ghostly white. For hours he sat by her side talking to her. Hoping for her eyes to open.  
  
Hours past with no change in her condition and Leon began to lose hope of her survival. He leaned his head against the rail of her bed and closed his eyes. An alarm from the heart monitor stirred him from his sleep. Leon jumped out of his chair and pushed the nurse call button, "Please send the nurse, she's awake." He looked down into her eyes. "Welcome back baby."  
  
The nurse came into the room and began to examine Sky, "She's breathing good. That's great for her recovery. Sky, I am going to sit you up. It may cause you some discomfort, but will improve your breathing." As the nurse raised the head of the bed, Sky winced in pain. "I told you it would be uncomfortable. I will need you to take a few deep breaths if you can." Sky inhaled and exhaled when told. "Good, very good."  
  
Sky looked up at the nurse, "Can you tell me the condition of Maria Thomas, my mom?" The nurse went about her examination without answering the question. Sky's heart sank. "Please tell me."  
  
"You should concentrate on yourself for right now." The nurse reminded her.  
  
Sky turned to look at Leon who had his head in his hands, "Where's my mom? Leon don't even think about lying to me. Where is she?"  
  
Leon looked at the nurse for approval to tell Sky. The nurse nodded. "Sky, I'm sorry. She didn't make it."  
  
"Why did this have to happen to her? She never hurt anyone. I wish I had died instead of her." 


	5. Running

Chapter 5  
  
Light rain trickled down on the crowd of mourners that had come to pay their final respects to Mrs. Thomas. So many people whose lives she touched in some way or another. A very pregnant young woman stepped up and places a single red rose on the coffin. Her right hand was resting on her stomach. Mrs. Thomas had helped the girl find shelter when her mother threw her out. Tears fell from her cheeks as she bent down to kiss the casket. One by one each person placed their rose until no trace of wood could be seen, just a mound of red petals.  
  
Sky watched from a distance not wanting to deal with the looks of pity. She could not bring herself to acknowledge that her mom was lying in the casket and never coming back to her. Many looked her way with pity whispering "poor girl lost her mother and father in the same night" or "such a tragedy", it was more than she could bear. Beside her sat Leon holding her hand. It had been one week since that terrifying night. Members of her family had come wanting to see her in the hospital, but she would only allow Leon to see her. It was just too much for her to deal with. The doctors had allowed her to leave the hospital just for a couple of hours to attend the funeral. A man and woman she didn't recognize headed in her direction. "Skylar, Hello I am James Thomas Sr., your grandfather. This is my wife Betsy."  
  
"Why is this the first time I am meeting you?" Sky was suspicious immediately.  
  
James cleared his throat, "Well to be honest with you, we did not approve of your mother."  
  
Sky jumped from her seat and got in his face, "You come here to my mom's funeral and have the nerve to tell me that you didn't approve of her. Get the fuck out of my face."  
  
"Young lady watch your language. Don't you worry a couple of days with us and your attitude will change."  
  
"Look dumb fuck, I ain't going anywhere with you. Your sick bastard of a son killed my mom. I don't want anything to do with you or your family. Go to hell." Sky began to cough and gasp for air.  
  
Leon sat her down it the chair and placed the oxygen mask on her face. He turned to James, "Get outta here. She don't want to see you again. If you come near her again I'll kill you and don't think this is some idle threat. I'll gut you like the pig that you are."  
  
"Don't make threats you can't back up boy. Her parents' wish was for her to be with us. As soon as the doctors release her to travel, she's off to New Jersey with us."  
  
"That'll never happen as long as I can help it. Now leave." Leon watched as they walked away. "You ok baby. Don't go and let them get to you. I'll take care of you."  
  
"I couldn't do this without you." Sky wrapped her arms around his chest and relaxed her head on his shoulder.  
  
"Time to get you back to the hospital where you can get some rest. Come on let's go."  
  
~Leon's House~  
  
Leon walked in to find his dad passed out on the couch, the bottle of Jack still in his hand. The room reeked of stale cigarettes and alcohol. Quietly, he ran up the stairs to his room. He looked out his window at the house across the street remembering what it was like only one week before. It had been a week since he stepped foot into this room, a week since he lay in his bed. All his time was spent at Sky's bedside. On the bed he noticed an envelope addressed to him written in his mother's handwriting. He opened it quickly and begins to read the words:  
  
***My son Leon,  
  
This is the hardest thing I have ever had to do. So many years I have been through living hell with your father, but I can't do it anymore. Please understand why I had to do this. If I don't leave now, I will be the next to be placed in the grave. I would have taken you with me, but Sky needs you now.  
  
I know that you and Sky will take care of each other. You are a man now and must make a place in the world for yourself. Good luck. I love you always.  
  
Love, Mom***  
  
The coldness of the words dug deep into his soul. "You are a man now" and "Good Luck". He couldn't understand how she could leave him to face his father alone. She's left him when he needed her most. The ringing of the phone jerked him from his thoughts. He ran to the hall to answer it, hoping his father was too drunk to hear it. "Hello."  
  
Sky was hysterical, "Leon, they are having me flown to New Jersey in three hours."  
  
"Shit. What the hell happened?" He wasn't ready to lose both the people that he loved in one day.  
  
"Don't know. Some how they got clearance from the doctor to have me moved. What am I supposed to do? I'm scared."  
  
"I am on my way. Fight them if you have to." He grabbed his backpack out of his closet and stuffed some clothes and cash inside. Leon rushed down the stairs and across the street to Sky's house. Pulling the yellow police tape off the backdoor, he kicked it in. He grabbed some things for Sky and headed straight for the hospital.  
  
~The Hospital~  
  
Sky waited impatiently on the side of the bed. Thinking that any minute they someone would try to take her away. The door swung open and Leon bolted in, "Here put some clothes on. We are leaving." Leon helped dress her and they moved to the door. "Hold on let me make sure it's safe." He poked his head out and only saw a lone nurse reviewing charts. Hand in hand they moved out of the room and headed for the stairway exit. "Sky we are going to have to go fast. Are you ready?"  
  
"Just go. I'll keep up." They flew down four flights of stairs and then stopped. Leon checked for clearance. They walked into the lobby and calmly out the door. "Where are we going?" Sky asked once they were about ten blocks from the hospital.  
  
"Los Angeles."  
  
"How long do you think it will take us?"  
  
"An hour by car, much longer by foot. Better get moving, soon all the cops in town will be looking for us." 


	6. The City of Angels

Chapter 6  
  
Darkness surrounded them. Leon and Sky had walked what felt like to her 100 miles, but they had finally made it to Highway 60. Leon looked at Sky and began to worry about her condition. Sweat beaded on her forehead and her skin was pale. She was in obvious pain with each breathe. "Sit down on the ground and I'll try to get us a ride."  
  
She shook her head "no". Sky took a few quick breaths and looked up at him, "We need to keep moving. We can try to catch a ride while walking, we don't stop till we get to L.A." She felt as though she may pass out at any moment. It was taking its toll on her.  
  
"Damn it Sky. You can't keep this pace up." He wiped sweat from her face. "We promised each other we'd always be together. You can't leave me now."  
  
Sky pulled in a ragged breath, "Don't worry, I'm not leaving any time soon. Come on let's go." Deep inside she worried if she would make it. With each breath she took a stabbing pain ran through her chest. She put her thumb out hoping for a sane person to pick them up.  
  
Cars whizzed past them without the slightest hesitation. Up ahead a semi was pulled to the side of the road with its hazard lights flashing. They quicken their pace towards the cab. Leon stopped before they reach the door, "Hey, wait. Let me talk to the guy first. He might be a serial killer or something. Don't wanna risk it." Sky smiled at him and took a seat on the ground thankful for the break and time to catch her breath. Leon walked up to the front of the truck and found the driver looking over the front right tire. "Excuse me sir. My girlfriend and I need a ride towards L.A. and wondered if you could give us a ride as far as possible."  
  
The older man looked Leon up and down, "Sorry son. I don't give rides."  
  
Leon felt the pressure. He knew that Sky would not make it if they had to walk the whole way and were a sitting target for the cops. "Man please help us. She is sick and I need to get her to a doctor. Please I'm begging you. Look at her."  
  
The driver stepped over to Sky who was resting on the ground. She looked up at him, her eyes glazed over. The driver was shocked by what he saw. The driver turns to Leon, "I'll get you to the Los Angeles. Let's get her in the truck and get moving."  
  
Leon thanked the driver. He reached down and pulled Sky into his arms. He placed tender kisses on her cheek and whispered reassurances in her ear. She rested her head against his chest and tried to focus on getting as much oxygen in her lungs as possible. The driver opened the passenger door and Leon climbed up and placed Sky on the seat. He slid onto the seat and moved her onto his lap. She began to drift off as the truck moved forward. Leon could feel the heat coming from her body. Her temp had spiked and he questioned if he made the right choice of taking her away from the hospital.  
  
The highway was empty and it took just under an hour to reach L.A. Leon gently shook Sky to wake her. His shirt was soaked with sweat from where she had slept against him. Leon thanked the driver and offered him ten dollars for the ride, but he refused. They made their way to a nearby gas station. The cool air hit Sky as she opened the door causing a shiver to run through her body. "It's freezing in here."  
  
"Let's get some water and aspirin. See if we can't break that fever." Leon grabbed what they needed and paid the clerk. As they got outside Sky stumbled and he luckily grabbed her inches from the ground. "You're scaring me girl. I think we should head for the nearest hospital. I fucked up bringing you here."  
  
Fearing being taken away from him she pleaded, "No. No hospital. They'll separate us. You promised."  
  
"Ok. Fine but if it happens again you're going. No argument. Now sit your ass down on the curb and takes these."  
  
Sky sighed with frustration, "Leon, look I don't want to sit down. Let's get moving. My cousin lives about ten blocks from here. The sooner we get there the sooner we can rest." He looked away from her hurt by her tone. "I'm sorry. You're taking such good care of me and I'm being really bitchy."  
  
"You bitchy...never." He said sarcastically.  
  
"Watch it boy. I don't care how shitty I feel, I can still kick your ass."  
  
"Damn that fever must be making you delusional. Kick my ass, not even on your best day." She nodded her head. He grabbed her around the waist and pulled her tight. "Really cause it seems like I'm in control right now. "  
  
"Only because I'm letting you. If I wanted to get loose I could."  
  
He let out a deep laugh, "Yep delusional. Which direction is your cousin's house?"  
  
"Why you going to carry me there?" Noticing he had her and wasn't letting go.  
  
"That's not a bad idea. Get on my back and point me in the right direction."  
  
Normally she would have argued with him but she was too weak and tired to walk anymore. He released her from his grip and squatted for her to get on his back. "You know I might get used to you carrying me around." Her arm slipped around his shoulders and he tucked his arms around her knees and they set off in the direction of her cousin's house. 


	7. From Happiness to Disaster

Chapter 7  
  
The house came into view as they turned the corner. Sky noticed the unmarked patrol car sitting in front of her cousin's house, "Get down. Get down." Leon crouched behind a car and Sky slipped off of his back.  
  
Leon looked around, "What is it?"  
  
"Cop in front of the house. We're screwed. I don't know what the hell to do now." She placed her head on her knees and sobbed. After all they had went through she had come to her breaking point.  
  
"Don't give up on me just yet. We just need to find a place to lay low. Come on follow me." He took her hand and led her into the shadows. Leon spied a boarded up industrial building about 15 blocks from her cousin's place. "This'll do for tonight." Quietly they slipped through a broken window. "Hey girl, this place doesn't look half bad."  
  
Her heart sunk when she looked around. Filth and clutter surrounded them. She knew he saw the same, but he was trying to keep her from breaking down again. She suppressed a scream as a rat ran across the floor. Her grip on Leon tightened. She almost jumped into his arms.  
  
He let out a small chuckle, "What's wrong baby? Afraid of a little mouse." He pulled her close and nibbled on her neck.  
  
"Hell no. I'm not afraid of a little mouse, but that's a huge ugly rat." She pulled her elbow back and landed a blow to his stomach.  
  
"Watch it, I'll scream for help." His smile grew wider.  
  
"Oh that's it." She made an attempt to sweep his leg, but he countered and she fell to the floor. "Ouch."  
  
"Shit, are you alright? Damn, I'm sorry." He helped her to her feet.  
  
She couldn't help but laugh at the worried expression on his face. "Just tell me how it is that I try to trip you, but end up on the ground."  
  
"You telegraphed your move." He said it so matter of fact that it stunned her.  
  
"Leon don't use such big words your brain will overheat."  
  
"Funny, very funny. You forgot I am the master. Keep practicing little grasshopper, you will learn."  
  
"Someday when you least expect it, I'll pay you back for this."  
  
"Yeah yeah yeah. All talk." Softly he placed kisses along her neck and cheek. "You feeling better now."  
  
"A little. I'm just really exhausted. How 'bout you?" He nodded.  
  
They walked over to the cleanest spot they could find and sat down. Leon put his back against a beam and pulled Sky in between his legs laying her head against his chest. He stroked his fingers through her hair and her breath slipped into a calm steady rhythm. He closed his eyes knowing she was safe in his arms at least for one night.  
  
************************************************************************  
  
Sky woke to find Leon missing, his backpack under her head. She moved around the room trying to find a safe way out. As she moved near a window, she heard the sound of footsteps. Quickly, she turned to find someone standing next to her. A hand was placed over her mouth. "Don't scream." Leon whispered to her. Her heart felt like it was going to beat out of her chest.  
  
She smacked him hard on the arm, "Don't ever scare me like that again. Where did you go? Why didn't you wake me?"  
  
"You needed rest. Got great news though."  
  
"I hope so."  
  
"Found a way out of here that no one will see and we'll be sleeping in a bed tonight." He pulled a hotel room key out of his pocket.  
  
"How did you pull that off?"  
  
"Paid an extra $10."  
  
"Where is all this money coming from?"  
  
"Been saving up so we could runaway together." She rushed up and wrapped her arms around his chest and placed a deep kiss on his lips. "Would have told ya sooner if I knew I'd get this kind of response. Let's go unless you wanna stay here."  
  
"Lead the way." He grabbed their pack and moved her through the door into an area overgrown by weeds. She pulled the hood up on her sweatshirt as they made their way to the busy street.  
  
After a brisk ten-minute walk, they reached the hotel. Sky noticed that it was a seedy kind of place frequented by prostitutes, which explained why they asked so few questions of him. To her it was much better than spending another night in that dirty building fearing the rats would eat them alive. He unlocked the door and she walked in to find the air conditioner already turned on. "Thought you would like it cool."  
  
"Oh yeah. The first thing I want to do is take a shower. Wanna join me?" She winked at him.  
  
"Can't. Have to pay for the pizza when it gets here."  
  
"You ordered pizza?"  
  
"Of course. Figured you're hungry too."  
  
"Yep." She stripped down to nothing and stepped into the stream of hot water. The dirt washed off her body and down the drain. This was probably the dirtiest she had been since her tenth birthday when she jumped into a large puddle of mud on a dare from Leon. He was always getting her into trouble; she wondered why she hung out with him.  
  
After washing her hair, she turned the off the water and began to towel dry. A knock at the door let her know that food had arrived. She slipped on a black pair of shorts and a white t-shirt. She ran a brush through her hair. Leon was outside the door telling her to hurry up before the food got cold. Damn inpatient man she thought to herself. Opening the door she found him standing there waiting on her. "Sorry I took so long."  
  
He kissed her on the cheek, "You better have left me some hot water."  
  
This caused her to laugh, "Should have got in with me if you wanted hot water."  
  
"Didn't think I could control myself seeing you naked in the shower."  
  
She moved close to him rubbing her hand down his chest and whispered in his ear, "Who said you needed to control yourself?"  
  
The hairs on the back of his neck stood up and a sensation ran through his body. He wanted to forget the shower and take her right where they stood, but he pulled himself away. "Go eat. I'm gonna take that cold shower."  
  
Playfully she licked hers her lips and smiled at him, "What are you getting too hot?"  
  
"Stop. Go eat now. You're not helping."  
  
She rolled her eyes and headed over to the table where he had set the pizza. He closed the bathroom door and leaned his head against it. All he could think of was her naked body against his. He knew that even an ice cold shower couldn't cool him. Quickly he showered and put on a pair of boxers.  
  
Sky looked up from the bed when he walked out of the bathroom. "Feel better."  
  
"No not really."  
  
A devilish smile appeared on her face, "Bet I can make you feel better."  
  
"Someone's hormones are out of control." He plopped down on the bed beside her. "First thing we need to do is clean that incision on your back."  
  
"We have another problem. My stitches need to come out."  
  
"Figured that too. Don't worry I'll handle it. Ok take off your shirt." She gave him a flirty look. "Get your mind out of the gutter."  
  
She stood up and faced him. Lifting her shirt and throwing it to the side she teased, "Whose mind is in the gutter now?"  
  
"Mine. Damn you win now turn around and let me get a look at your back." The incision was red and puffy. "Sit down here between my legs so I can take those stitches out." Gently he took the scissors and cut through each stitch, cleaning the area with alcohol. "All done. Did you take your pills?"  
  
"Yes Doctor." She sighed.  
  
"Funny. Just worried about you." He laid her back against the pillow and placed his lips to hers. He pulled back and looked into her eyes, "Are you sure you want to do this?"  
  
"It's the only thing I am sure of."  
  
"I don't wanna rush you or force you into anything."  
  
"You're not rushing me. I've wanted this for a long time. Leon, I love you."  
  
"I love you too baby." He pulled her close feeling her warmth against his body. His mouth moved down her neck placing deep kisses along her collarbone. The scent of her skin was intoxicating him. She ran her fingers through his hair playing with each strand. He ran his tongue from the base of her neck to her navel and teased her with soft kisses at the waist of her shorts. He let out a soft laugh noticing the growing frustration on her face.  
  
"What?" He asked innocently. A smile appeared on her face and she shook her head at him. She wanted nothing more than to throw him on the bed and give him a taste of his own medicine, but she was enjoying his touch too much to stop him. He removed their clothes and softly spread her legs. He moved into her. A tear rolled down from her cheek, not from pain but from joy of being so close to him. Her hands rested on his shoulders. ************************************************************************  
  
Leon woke to her body lying close to him. Her skin was on fire. The fever had returned. He tried to wake her, but got little response. He ran to the bathroom and started to fill the tub with luke-warm water and ran back to the bed to get her. "Sky baby wake up. We got to get you in the tub."  
  
Sky tried to focus, "Leon it's too hot in here. Help me. Somethin's not right."  
  
"You're scaring me. If I can't get your temp down I'm taking you to the hospital." He gathered her into his arms and carried her to the tub placing her in the water. She flinched as the water touched her skin. With a washcloth Leon wet her hair and face.  
  
Leon heard a loud knock at the door. He moved into the bedroom and heard the words he feared, "LAPD open the door." They had found them. He grabbed his bag and went to get Sky out of the tub.  
  
"Girl the cops are here. We got to go. Can you stand?"  
  
"Yeah." Sky got out of the tub and quickly dried her skin as best as she can. Leon handed her some clothes. It took longer to get dressed, as she was still not completely dry. Her shirt was sticking tightly to her back. She slipped on her sneakers and followed Leon out the bathroom window.  
  
He took her hand and they headed down the street. A cop spotted them and chased after them. Leon pulled her into an alley. They ran towards a fence at the end of the alley. Leon cleared it easily and held his hand out to help Sky. She took hand and climbed up. As she was about to clear the fence, the cop grabbed her ankle. Leon lost his grip and the cop drug her to the ground. She struggled to get free to no avail. Leon started to come over the fence. She screamed at him, "No. Get out of here Leon." Another cop came down the alley to assist the cop handcuffing Sky. "Run Leon damn it get away from here." He looked at Sky one last time and then ran in the opposite direction. 


	8. The Kid

Chapter 8  
  
He ran as fast as he could leaving behind the person that loved him. How could he just leave her like that? What the hell was he thinking? Sky needed him more than ever. Leon stopped running and headed back in the direction of the alley. If she was going to jail so was he. Hopping the fence he found the cops and Sky gone. He had no idea where they had taken her. He headed for the warehouse to think.  
  
************************************************************************  
  
~A month later~  
  
The graffiti filled walls distracted him from the hunger in his stomach. Each intricate design melded into another. In his hand was the necklace he gave her on her birthday. The diamond catched a ray of sunlight taking him back to the memories of that day at the beach. They should never have come back that day now she was gone and he had nowhere to go. The sound of breaking glass brought Leon back to the present. He grabbed his pack and hid behind a few boxes. A young kid rolled into the room on a skateboard. Leon moved forward to get a better look at him, but tripped on a wooden skid and knocked over the boxes he was standing by. The kid nearly jumped out of his skin. He turned to run, but Leon caught him fearing he would lead the cops to the building. "Hey kid. Chill out. I'm not gonna hurt you."  
  
"Look I don't have any money." the kid managed to stutter out.  
  
"I don't want your money. Just don't want anyone to know I'm here." Leon released his grip on the kid and backed away. "Name's Leon. What's yours?" He extended his hand to the kid.  
  
The kid shook his hand, "I'm Jesse. Do you live here or something?"  
  
"You could say that. Ran away from home. How old are you Jesse?"  
  
"Just turned 13." He smiled proudly. "How old are you Leon?"  
  
"16. So what ya doing here?"  
  
Jesse looked down at the ground and back at Leon, "Come here to skate."  
  
"That's cool."  
  
"Hey you wanna come to my house and hang out. My dad won't be home tonight so you can stay as late as you want."  
  
"Your dad won't mind?" Jesse shook his head.  
  
"Alright let's go." 


	9. True Angel

Chapter 9  
  
The officer shoved her into the car and wiped the blood from his lip. A battle wound from his tangle with her. He reached for his radio and informed dispatch of his capture. He seemed proud of himself even taunting her by knocking on the window and smiling. Sky rolled onto her back and planted both feet against the window with all of her strength. It did not budge and the cop began to laugh loudly, "Kick all you want sweetie. Glass won't break."  
  
Anger rose in her from a deep dark place in her soul, "Fuck you. I'll kill you motherfucker. I'm gonna rip your throat out."  
  
The cops slipped on his silver shades and came close to the window with a cheesy grin, "Well I'll add threatening the life of an officer to the long list of charges you are already facing Miss Thomas. But don't you worry; we're going to catch your little partner too. Wouldn't want you to get lonely."  
  
Her feet pound the glass as she screamed. The officer moved into the driver seat of the cruiser and she focused her kicks towards the cage separating them. He told her to stop before he was forced to restrain her. She continued to kick as hard as she could muster the strength to. The cop got out of the car and opened her door. He pulled her out by her hair and slammed her to the ground. Blood flowed from a cut above her eye. "Warned you that you would not like what would happen if you resisted." She flipped over onto her back and nailed him in the crotch with a strong kick. The cop fell to the ground cursing her. She got up on her knees and sunk her teeth into his arm. With and open hand, he struck her across the face knocking her against the cruiser and then jerked her flat onto the ground. He put a knee on her back and cuffed her ankles linking them to her wrists by another chain. He picked her up by the chain and threw her back into the car. "Fucking little bitch. Now shut up and enjoy the ride."  
  
They arrived at the station and she was pulled out of the back of the car, "You going to behave or do you need to stay chained up?"  
  
"Whatever." She was just too tired to fight anymore.  
  
The cop placed her on the ground and removed the shackles from her ankles. He helped her to her feet and led her into the station. A large cop at the desk greeted him, "Sanders, what have you got here?"  
  
"Sergeant, this is Sky Thomas. Sixteen years old, missing from Riverside."  
  
"The officer's daughter?"  
  
"Yes sir."  
  
The sergeant looked over at Sky "What happened to her face?"  
  
"She resisted arrest." He said as he winked at her.  
  
"Take her to the hospital and get her cleaned up. Then take her to the juvenile detention center. I'll call ahead and let them know what to expect."  
  
~Emergency Department~  
  
They were rushed back into the triage area immediately. The cop handcuffed her to the bed and left to get a cup of coffee. A security guard was placed outside the curtain to prevent her from running away again. A young nurse with shoulder length black hair walked into the room with a suture tray, "Hey there. You don't seem as evil as the cop described you. That's a nasty cut above your eye though. I'll get you fixed up. Name's Eva, what's yours?"  
  
"Sky. While you're at it can you take a look at my incisions? Got the stitches out of the one on my back, but forgot to remove the ones in the front. Was a little preoccupied." Sky blushed.  
  
"May I ask what happened to you?"  
  
"Shot twice in the back. Both bullets came through." Sky pulled up her shirt and pointed to the exit wounds on her chest.  
  
"Oh my god. Were you in a gang fight or something?"  
  
Sky had to laugh at that, "No. My dad shot me right before he put a bullet in his own head"  
  
A sad expression formed on Eva's face, "I'm so sorry. Well I'll have a look at them and see what I can do after I fix you face." Sky lay back on the table. Eva started on the cut above Sky's eye. Slowly she wiped the dirt and gravel out of the cut, Sky gritted her teeth trying not to yell. "I'll numb it before I begin to stitch. You are doing great. So how old are you?"  
  
"Just turned sixteen."  
  
"Can you drive yet?"  
  
"According to my cousin Vince, no. I think I drive well, maybe a little too fast sometimes. Hey if I give you my cousin's phone number, will you tell him that I am ok? I know he is worried. He's been like a big brother to me."  
  
"Sure." The needle came in view and Sky's body tightened with fear. "Just a little stick and it will be over. You will barely feel it. Promise." The needle sunk into her skin. "Ok done with that. You really are a good patient. Not once have you tried to strangle me." They both laughed. "Now is this cousin of yours cute?"  
  
"Well I've never looked at him like that. He's tall and dark, but I don't know if he fits the handsome part. Kinda scruffy. A lot of people just blow him off thinking his an idiot, but if you really talk to him you find he's a lot deeper and he is an amazing guitarist. He writes some of best songs."  
  
"He sounds nice. Would you mind if I delivered you message in person?"  
  
"Hell I don't care. Vince likes surprises. Do you have a pen and a piece of paper? I'll give you the address and phone number." Sky sat up and took the pen and paper from her quickly scribbling the information.  
  
"Cool. Now let me get a look at your back." Swiftly Eva removed the dirty shirt clinging to Sky's body. "This doesn't look so good." She touched her finger across the wound on Sky's back. "It's infected. I'll do my best to clean it up, but you need antibiotics."  
  
The cop burst into the room, "What are you doing? The only thing you should be fixing is her face."  
  
Eva protested, "She needs antibiotics. Those wounds on her chest and back are infected and if anything the stitches on her chest have to be removed."  
  
"Fine remove the stitches and that's it."  
  
"A little privacy please, step outside the curtain Officer."  
  
He shook his head, "Start getting the stitches out now." He was enjoying staring at Sky topless, her arms covering her breasts.  
  
Eva looked back at Sky, "If he won't leave then we won't give him anything to look at. Turn around and face the back wall."  
  
Sky was touched by Eva's kindness, "Thanks. You're really nice."  
  
Eva got to work on digging the stitches out of the skin. The skin had closed over some of them. "Officer I need to get some more solution. Please wait here." Eva left the room and headed to the locker room to retrieve a clean shirt for Sky to wear. She ran past the supply cabinet and grabbed a bottle of solution. When she pulled back the curtain the cop is inches away from Sky. He jumped at the sound of the curtain being pulled back. Eva screams at him, "Out before I have you reported." Her attention turned to Sky. "Did he hurt you?"  
  
"No. He was just trying to scare me." Her body was trembling.  
  
"Brought you a clean shirt to wear. Put it on." She handed the shirt over to Sky.  
  
"Thanks for everything." Sky slipped the shirt on. "Tell Officer Dickhead that I'm ready."  
  
The cop entered the room and cuffed her hands behind her back and led her away. 


	10. New Family

Chapter 10  
  
After eating three ham sandwiches and a large bag of Doritos, Leon sat back against the couch his stomach full. Jesse sat next to him chuckling, "Damn you want anything else?"  
  
"Sorry 'bout that. Haven't eaten in awhile."  
  
"Guess not. Want to watch some TV or play video games." Jesse began pacing back and forth in front of him. "Got some magazines here somewhere." He overturned everything on the coffee table trying to find them.  
  
"Jess. Chill out dawg. I'm cool."  
  
"Sorry. I get excited easily."  
  
"I can tell." They both laughed.  
  
"I've got that attention thing. It drives my dad crazy."  
  
"ADD huh? We'll just have to keep you busy. Pop in a game. Let's play."  
  
~The Next Day~  
  
Leon opened his eyes and took in the sight of the room. Posters of performance cars covered every inch of the walls, notes about their specs scribbled here and there. He sat up in the bed and picked a stack of papers off the floor. Thumbing through them he found hand drawn plans for engines. "Damn smart kid," Leon mumbled to himself. The clock on the dresser read 2:00pm. Jess would be home soon. He raised his arms and took a wiff of his underarms. The stench almost gagged him and he had a strong stomach. "Time for a shower."  
  
The hot water streamed out of the showerhead. Steam began to fill the room. Quickly he took off his clothes. He removed the silver chain from his neck and stepped into the water. He thought of Sky and worried about what the cops did to her. He missed having her near him in his arms. It was hard for him to believe everything that had happened. The two people that were his life were gone who knows where and he had no idea where he would sleep the next night. The water was turning cold; he had been in too long. Quickly turning the water off he jumped out and wrapped a towel around his waist.  
  
Looking into his bag, he found the only clean pair of pants he had left. He rummaged through the bag and found the shirt she had been wearing the night they ran away. Running his hand over it he pulled the shirt close to his chest and let the tears fall. She was gone. The words played over and over in his head.  
  
The sound of footsteps startled him. The door swung open and Jesse was peering down at him, blood running down from his nose. "Jess what the hell happened?" He pushed past Leon and tried to wash the blood away in the sink. Leon turned him around, "Who did this?"  
  
"It happens all the time. Don't worry about it." Jesse turned back to the sink.  
  
"Fuck that. Tell me who did this."  
  
"Some of the guys like to pick on me. That's all. I'm fine really."  
  
"Bullshit. Show me where they're at and I'll make sure they don't touch you again."  
  
"It's really ok. Don't wanna make things worse ya know."  
  
Leon grabbed a washcloth from the sink and wiped Jesse's face, "How's it get worse than this? From now on I'll walk you to and from school."  
  
"Thanks man, but you don't have to do that."  
  
"It's no problem." He cleaned the last of the blood from Jesse's face. "I should get out of here before you dad comes home."  
  
"I'm already home," a voice said from behind them. Leon turned around to find a very large man standing in the doorway, his long hair tied back. "But you can stay. Jesse finish getting your face cleaned up and the two of you meet me in the living room."  
  
Once Jesse's dad was out of sight Leon looked back at Jesse, "Shit. You never said your dad was that big."  
  
"He's not as scary as he looks." Jesse laughed. "Come on." They headed for the living room.  
  
"Jesse are you going to introduce me to your friend?" Jesse's dad said from the couch.  
  
He moved to take a seat next to his dad, "Dad this is Leon. Leon this is my dad, Tom." Leon shook Tom's hand and sat down on the floor across from them. "Is it ok if he stays here?"  
  
"Hold up Jesse. I need to know a little more about your friend Leon before I say yes." Tom eyed Leon, "So where you from? Where are your parents?" Nervously Leon picked at his fingernails. "You can tell me the truth. Nothings going to happen to you."  
  
"I ran off after my mom left. There's nothing left back there." Leon said honestly.  
  
"Well since you have nowhere to go, you can stay here. Jess could use the company." Tom rubbed his hand over Jesse's messy hair, "Right kid?"  
  
Jesse was smiling from ear to ear, "You mean it. He can stay here? Yes."  
  
Leon looked over at them and felt a little jealous wishing he had that kind of relationship with his dad. "I don't wanna be a burden."  
  
"You will be more help than you know. I work out of town most of the time leaving Jess here alone. If you look after him and keep him out of trouble, you can stay as long as you want. Deal?"  
  
"Deal." 


	11. Don't Kill the Messenger

Chapter 11  
  
The lime green Corolla pulled in front of the brick two-story house and came to a sudden stop. After a deep breath, Eva killed the engine and pulled the key from the ignition. Glancing once more at the slip of paper she knew it was the house. She opened the car door and stepped out. Smoothing her clothes, she approached the door. She lightly pressed the doorbell. To her dismay no one answered. She rung it again hoping someone would hear it. "Come on. Someone has to be home." She said quietly under her breath.  
  
"Can I help you?"  
  
She turned to find the tallest sexiest man she had ever laid eyes upon staring down at her with crystal blue eyes. "Um yeah." 'Oh God, he is so fine.' She thought to herself. Unconsciously she licked her lips and let her eyes trail down his body. "Um I am um looking for Vince." She managed to stutter out.  
  
The corners of his mouth moved upward, "That would be me. How can I help such a beautiful woman?" He made sure to flex his biceps just a little. He was enjoying turning the girl on.  
  
A warm rush of heat flooded her face, "Thanks for the compliment. Well should tell you why I here right." He nodded, his smile growing wider. "I treated your cousin Sky in the emergency room earlier today and she wanted me to give you a message."  
  
His smile faded and was replaced by a look of concern, "Sky? Is she hurt? Where is she? She's been missing from a hospital for 48 hours."  
  
"She was brought into the ER by a police officer. The cop slammed her too hard to the ground and caused a cut above her eye."  
  
Vince slammed his fist into the porch support, "I'll fuckin' kill him."  
  
"Look there's more important things to worry about. Her wounds are infected and the cop wouldn't let me give her antibiotics. She's going to get very sick if we can't get her medication soon."  
  
"Do you have any idea where they took her?"  
  
"She said they were taking her to the juvenile detention center. That's all she knew."  
  
"Damn it." Vince sat down on the steps and roughly ran his hands through his hair. "Did she say anything else?"  
  
Eva moved close to him and placed her hand on his shoulder to comfort him, "Just that she loved you and wanted you not to worry."  
  
He looked up at her, "How can I not worry about her? We need to find her. Can you give me a ride to Central Hall? Maybe they took her there."  
  
"Sure let's go."  
  
************************************************************************  
  
~Later that evening~  
  
Vince sat on the couch flipping through the channels, his mind racing with thoughts about Sky. Eva was in the kitchen making pizza for them. Dom was sitting in the chair growing annoyed from the constant channel surfing. "Vince." He growled. "Pick a channel."  
  
"There's nothin' on."  
  
"We'll find her. There's nothing more you could've done."  
  
"I could've taken the car to her on her birthday. I could've protected her better." He stood up and paced in front of the TV raising his voice, "Fuck Dom. It's my fault. I should've got them outta there sooner."  
  
"How the hell is it your fault? Did you pull the trigger?" Dom grabbed Vince by his shoulders and forced Vince to look him in the eyes, "Never ever blame yourself for what that fucker did."  
  
Eva walked in from the kitchen, "Is there anything I can do?" Vince turned to look at her. He moved into her arms and rested his head on her shoulder. "We'll find her."  
  
************************************************************************  
  
~Juvenile Hall~  
  
"Welcome to your new home." His laughter rang in her ears causing her blood to boil. She narrowed her eyes and stared back at him. "What's wrong? Not up to your high standards." He led her through a steel door and into a holding cell.  
  
A stern looking old lady shuffled towards them, "Good evening Officer. Who do we have here?" Her gaze fixed on Sky.  
  
"Skylar Thomas, age 16. Runaway. We're holding her on a charge of assault. "  
  
The woman nodded, "I've been expecting you. Release her from the handcuffs and you may be on your way Officer."  
  
"Place your arms through the slot," he instructed Sky. When she failed to obey him, he reached through the slot and grabbed her arms slamming her body into the bars. "Next time you'll listen."  
  
"Fuck off." She said then spit blood from her now split lip at him.  
  
"Enjoy you're stay." With that he headed out the door.  
  
The woman watched him leave then focused her attention on Sky. "Remove your clothing and place them on the floor."  
  
"Are you kidding me? I don't think so." Sky walked to the back of the holding cell and leaned against the wall with her arms crossed.  
  
"Young lady, do as you're told or I'll have the guards do it for you."  
  
"Oooh I'm so scared."  
  
The woman reached for her radio, "I have an unruly juvenile. Please send someone to help me."  
  
Sky laughed at the woman and flipped her off. A loud buzz came from an outer door. Two large men walked up to the cell and unlocked the door. Sky tried to run, but was caught by one of the men. They forcefully removed her clothing and dropped her on the ground. The old woman thanked them for their help and walked up to Sky. "When I tell you to remove your clothes you do it. Understand? Now place this around yourself and follow me." She led Sky down a hall to a dressing area. "Put these on." Sky took the panties and jumper from her and slips into them. Quietly she was led into a gray room containing only a bed and a toilet.  
  
~Eva's Apartment, The Next Day~  
  
The phone rang and woke Vince out of his slumber. Eva climbed over him to answer the phone. "Hello. Zoe what's up? Are you sure? We're on our way." She hung up the phone and smiled down at him, "Sky was brought into the hospital 20 minutes ago. Come on we need to get moving."  
  
He gently kissed her lips, "Thank you."  
  
"Told you we would find her."  
  
"Yes you did."  
  
They jumped out of bed and pulled on their clothes. Eva handed her keys to Vince and let him drive to the hospital. 


	12. Goodbye for Now

Chapter 12  
  
~Emergency Room~  
  
The sounds around her were muffled and her sight was hazy. Her body jerked and vomit spilled from her mouth onto the floor. A woman placed a dish near Sky's mouth and gently stroked her back trying to calm her. Sky closed her eyes and drifted into a deep sleep.  
  
************************************************************************  
  
~Room 741~  
  
The sound of beeping brought Sky back to consciousness. "Damn this looks familiar," she thought to herself as she took in her surroundings. I.V. lines ran from her arms. Her fever was gone replaced by a pounding headache. "Just my luck." she said moving up in the bed.  
  
A voice startled her. "You must have some bad luck, girly." Sky noticed a young woman sitting in the chair across from the bed with her slender legs crossed. Her platinum hair was contained in two long braids. A bright smile appeared on the woman's face.  
  
"And you are?" Sky eyed the woman.  
  
"Name's Zoe. I'm a friend of Eva's."  
  
"Cool. What are you doing here?"  
  
"She asked me to keep an eye on you til she gets here."  
  
"Do you know how I got here?"  
  
"Oh yeah." Zoe moved closer to the bed. "You passed out in your cell. The guards brought you in. You had 105-degree temp. You're luck to be alive."  
  
"The infection huh?"  
  
"Yep, but don't worry. You're going to be just fine, no permanent damage."  
  
"That's a relief I guess." Sky was interrupted by the appearance of Eva and Vince. He rushed over to the bed and wrapped his arms around her. "Careful don't break me." He loosened his grip quickly causing her to laugh. "How ya doing cuz?"  
  
"Better than you Princess. What the hell were you thinking leaving the hospital like that? You know better. How the hell did you get here? Did you hitchhike?" Vince tapped her temple with his index finger; "You should use this thing once in a while."  
  
"I didn't have a choice. They were taking me to New Jersey." She laid her head on Vince's shoulder and cried softly. "I want to stay with you. You're the only one I have left. Please V don't let them take me away."  
  
He wrapped his arms around her and whispered in her ear, "I got ya now Princess."  
  
************************************************************************  
  
~One Month Later~  
  
"It is the order of the court that the minor, Skylar Elizabeth Thomas, be put in the custody of James and Betsy Thomas, her paternal grandparents. The Thomas' will retain custody until the minor reaches age of maturity. Court is adjourned." The judge sided with Sky's grandparents and denied Vince custody of her.  
  
"No. You can't do this. I won't go. You hear me, I won't go." Sky screamed from the lawyer's table. "I hate you. I would rather die than be with you." She directed her anger towards her grandparents.  
  
"Calm down Princess. You only have to be there for a short time. It'll fly be." Vince tried to persuade her to accept the decision.  
  
"I'll run. I swear that if you send me to live with them I'll runaway and never come back."  
  
Vince grabbed her by her arms, "Don't. You'll make shit worse. Just deal with it for a while until I can figure something out." Sky stomped out of the courtroom.  
  
~Two Days Later~  
  
"Now boarding Flight 2254 to Newark." The announcement came across the loudspeaker.  
  
"I'm not going Vince. I swear I'll runaway again if you make me go. I'm serious."  
  
"Don't do anything stupid. All you have to do is get through the two years and you'll be back home I promise."  
  
Sky's grandfather walked over to them and pulled her up, "You're going now." She struggled to free herself, but he wrapped his arm around her waist and lifted her kicking and screaming. "Got something for that temper of yours." He motioned for his wife to help him. She took out a syringe and shot a drug into Sky's arm. They carried her into the gate.  
  
Vince watched the plane taxi down the runway and liftoff. He dropped to his knees, "I'll get you back here Princess. I promise." 


	13. On Her Own

Chapter 13  
  
The taxi pulled through the gate. Sky watched as the gate closed once they were through. The car moved up the driveway towards six large gray buildings. "Where are we?" she questioned her grandfather.  
  
"Your new home, this the Westfield Home for Girls. They work with troubled girls such as you. Get you straightened out."  
  
"Fuckin' let me out of this car now. I'm not going to stay in some institution. You think these gates can hold me." She grabbed the door handle and opened the door. The taxi came to a stop and she bolted. She didn't get but a few feet when two large German shepherds surrounded her. She made a slight movement and their growls became more intense.  
  
A guard in camouflage approached the dogs, "I suggest that you don't move young lady. They are trained to kill."  
  
Sky put her hands in the air and the guard called the dogs off. In a flash, Sky took off running again. The dogs were close, she could feel them gaining on her. "Run." She repeated over and over in her head determined to get away. The gate came into view. It was opened for a car to pull through. "Yes" she screamed loudly as she jetted past the gate, but didn't stop running. Her lungs stung causing her to gasp for air. Sirens blared from behind. She climbed a fence and reached a highway. Without thinking she darted across almost being flatten by a couple of semis. Sky reached the other side and climbed another fence. With enough distance between her and the home, she slowed her pace and tried to catch her breath and contemplate her next move.  
  
Sky pulled the backpack off that she had the sense to grab when she exited the car. She ducked behind some bushes and changed into a pair of loose black cargos and a black hoodie. Walking a little ways she found a highway sign noting that NYC was 73 miles away. "Nice place to hide I guess. Better get moving." She said out loud.  
  
************************************************************************  
  
"Thanks so much," Sky said as she got out of the car. She was lucky enough to flag down a woman and got a ride to NYC after walking around twenty miles.  
  
The sweet elderly woman smiled back at her, "Not a problem, dear. Take care of yourself."  
  
"I will. Goodbye." Sky watched the car disappear into the darkness. The street was empty and quiet, not what she expected of New York City. Where was the endless party she had read about in the magazines? Instead she found an eeriness that unnerved her. Her attention focused on a payphone on the corner. She deposited a coin in the slot and dialed the number quickly. A message played, "Please deposit $2.50 for the first minute."  
  
"Shit. Two-fifty that's highway robbery. Whatever." She fed the coins into the phone.  
  
The call was put through. After three rings a familiar voice came on the line, "Hello?"  
  
"Vince, it's me."  
  
"Sky where the fuck are you? I told you to stay put." Anger pulsed through his voice.  
  
"They were going to lock my ass up in some institution for girls. Have the cops contacted you?"  
  
"They're here now."  
  
"Shit. Shit. Gotta go. Love ya. Bye." She slammed the receiver back into the hook and started walking fast down the block. As she turned the corner she spotted a guy trying to break into a car. "Hey you're doing that all wrong?"  
  
The guy nearly jumped out of his skin, "Don't walk up on someone like that. Do you think you can do better?"  
  
"Hell yeah. Give me that." She took the auto tool from his hands and wiggled it down inside the door. Seconds later the door unlocked. "See told ya I could do it faster."  
  
"Damn girl want a job?"  
  
"Sure if it includes a place to stay."  
  
"Get in and we'll discuss the details on the way. Name's Razor, what's yours?"  
  
She took a better look at him and noticed the arms full of tats and multiple body piercings, "Razor huh? Nice to meet you my name is Sky." She slid over to the passenger seat.  
  
"Well sweetie welcome to the business." He started the car and they sped away. "As you can see I boost cars."  
  
"Yeah from the looks of it you need a little help breaking into them." She laughed.  
  
"Funny. Look I just started. Needed a way to make ends meet. So what's your story?"  
  
"I'm on my own. End of story."  
  
"Gotcha. My dad was a real prick so I took off. That was like five years ago. Met up with some guys and started a band, but that didn't pan out. So, I got into the business. We steal them, get them back to the shop and butcher them. So how old are you Sky?"  
  
"Sixteen."  
  
"You'll be the baby of the group no doubt, but stick with me and no one will mess with you. Ok."  
  
"Yep." 


	14. Six Long Years

Chapter 14  
  
They pulled into the garage and were greeted by a blond man around 6'4" in height and in Sky's opinion heavy into steroids. She snickered, as he seemed to flex his muscles with every movement. Razor poked her in the side and informed her that this was the boss. "Get out little one time to introduce you to everyone."  
  
As they stepped out of the car the boss threw Razor up onto the hood, "I said a S600 not a E320 Convertible are ya stupid or something and who the hell are you?" His blue eyes stared right through Sky.  
  
"She's with me." Razor spoke up. "Look I'm sorry about getting the wrong car. Can't you still sell this one?"  
  
"Sell this one? Yeah for half of what I was expecting to bring in. Should I take the rest out of your ass?"  
  
Sky moved forward and pushed the boss away from Razor, "The night's not over yet. We'll get you the car."  
  
"What's your name little girl?" His smug tone pissed her off.  
  
"I'm not a little girl asshole. What the hell is your name? God?"  
  
"Smart ass little bitch you better back off and let the big boys handle this."  
  
"You want the car or not?" She said not backing away. "Here's the deal, we get you the car and you back off Razor. Oh and you give me a job."  
  
"Give me your name and we got a deal."  
  
"It's Sky."  
  
"Well Sky you got your work cut out for you. Get going." He walked away from them.  
  
"Razor dude we need less conspicuous transportation if we are going to pull this off. What'd ya got?"  
  
He smiled and kissed her on the cheek, "Thanks for saving my ass. How about a Ducati 900 SSCR?"  
  
"I said less conspicuous but it'll do. Let's go."  
  
It took them a couple of hours of cruising to find the car in a suitable location. Sky had enjoyed the ride though. For a change she didn't have to think about her birthday or running from everything. All she felt was the wind in her hair and the adrenaline in her veins. They pulled up to the car and she hopped off quickly. After some maneuvering she popped the door locks and pulled the door open. (A/N: I have no idea how hard it is to break into a Mercedes just thought I would give her some skills) "Hey boy do your stuff and let's get outta here."  
  
"Sure thing Little One." He said coyly pushing past her. The car roared to life and he motioned for her to slide into the drivers seat. She put the car into gear and followed Razor back to the shop.  
  
By the time they reached the shop the sun was peaking over the horizon. "Now that's a beautiful site. I've made it through another day." She said to herself passing through the door. Razor ran over to the car and opened the door for her. He stretched out his hand and she placed her hand in his. "Why thank you sir." He helped her out of the car and lifted her into his arms. He swung her around and around and put her back on her feet. "What was that for?"  
  
"For saving my life. Ya see if I didn't get that car, Simon would have killed me no doubt."  
  
"Simon? Who the hell is this 'Simon'?"  
  
"The big guy you met earlier. That's Simon. Don't want to go pissing him off unless you have a death wish. So why did you stand up to him?"  
  
"Cause I don't fear death. Been there done that."  
  
"Huh?" He looked at her like she had lost her mind.  
  
"Look I have been at Death's door and it's not that damn scary. Hell you're going to go sometime."  
  
"Got a new nickname for you, Crazy." He tapped her on the nose.  
  
She scrunched her nose and rolled her eyes, "Whatever."  
  
"Let's go meet the rest of the group ok." He walked her upstairs to the living quarters.  
  
Simon was waiting on the couch when they walked in. "You got my car?"  
  
"Hell yeah." Sky didn't even hesitate. Simon nodded giving his approval.  
  
Razor started to go around the room and introduce everyone, "You know Simon already. The Latin beauty on his arm is Takara. The quiet guy in the corner that's Tel. He's deaf so don't even think about starting up a conversation unless he's looking right at you. Oh and let me not forget Paul the Vanilla Ice of NYC."  
  
"Hey fuck you." Paul said loudly cracking a smile.  
  
Razor smiled back at him, "Paul wants to be a famous rapper. But ya see there's that whole problem with his skin color. Boy is whiter than white." The group laughed at this. "Come on I'll show you to your bed." He took Sky's hand and led her to a room full of mattresses.  
  
"You all sleep in this room together."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Better than the street." She said crossing her arms.  
  
Razor walked over to a bed near the window and sat down. He patted on the bed next to his welcoming Sky to sit. "Think you'll be a little safer sleeping next to me."  
  
"Why do you say that?"  
  
"It's just that Simon I think he likes you and I don't trust him."  
  
"Oh ok. Good enough reason for me."  
  
Their conversation was interrupted by the appearance of Tel and Paul in the doorway. Tel sat down next to her, "Hi. So you are joining our family?" His speech was a little unclear, but excellent considering he couldn't hear.  
  
She faced him to be sure he could see her lips move, "Yes, I am."  
  
"Welcome. Do you know sign language?"  
  
"No, but I would like to learn."  
  
"Very cool. I'll teach you." He started with alphabet and showed her some of the basic words. Paul and Razor sat watching them noting how quickly Sky had melded with the group.  
  
************************************************************************  
  
~One Year Later~  
  
"Hey Little One where are you?" Razor called out for Sky using his favorite nickname for her. "Girl stop playing. Come out, come out wherever you are."  
  
Sky exited the bathroom, "I'm right here dude. Chill. What's up?"  
  
"Simon has a new job for us tonight. He said to get are asses in gear and meet him at a location in Manhattan."  
  
"Why the hell are we going to Manhattan?" Sky was suspicious as usual.  
  
"Hell your guess is as good as mine. Oh and by the way he said for you to wear all black including shoes."  
  
"This should be interesting." She ran off to change clothing.  
  
Sky and Razor pulled up to the location on Razor's bike. The rest of the crew was already there. Sky noted a scared look on Takara's face. She opened to her mouth to question Takara, but was hushed by Simon.  
  
Simon put his finger on her mouth to before she could get out a rebuttal. "You listen to me. You and Tel are going to break into the home across the street. You job is to empty the safe. The rest of the crew will handle security in case things get out of hand. There is no discussion. Just do it."  
  
Silently, Tel and Sky made their way to the back of the building and entered through a basement window. They communicated through hand signals. Sky had to be the ears for the both of them. Quietly they crept up the stairs to the second floor office. Sky found the safe in the location where Simon said it would be. Sky could hear her heart beating inside her chest. They had never tried to pull a job with a huge chance of being caught before. Boosting cars was their business, not home invasion.  
  
As Tel and Sky popped open the safe someone walked up behind them and cocked a gun, "What are you doing in my house?" They spun around with their hands up. A shot rang out. The homeowner fell to the ground revealing Simon standing behind him with a smoking gun. Sky sat in shock staring at the dead body. The guys grabbed and drug her out of the house to an awaiting van.  
  
"Wooohooo." Simon screamed from the front seat. "That guy didn't even see that coming. I bet the look on his face was priceless."  
  
"Are you sick? You just killed a man. What the hell is wrong with you?" Sky said regaining her senses. "Let me outta here. I want out."  
  
Simon turned to face her, "There's only one way out of this." He cocked his gun and pointed it at her. "Still want out?"  
  
~July 2000~  
  
The group had become like a family to her with the exception of Simon. Still with each passing year, Sky missed her home and her real family. She wished to be back in Cali. Her thoughts were never far from there. It was time for her to get back to the life she had to give up because of her dad's selfish act. She packed her bags and looked around the room to be sure to grab all of her things. A noise from the garage startled her. She stopped packing and headed down the stairs to investigate. She found Simon standing over a bleeding Takara.  
  
Simon screamed at her, "Where do you think you are going? You can't leave me bitch. I own you, all of you. I'll kill you before I will let you leave."  
  
"She's going with me." Sky's answer was simple and to the point. "You can't stop her from leaving."  
  
"Who do you think you are? She stays."  
  
He charged Sky, but was surprised as she lifted a metal bat from behind her and caught him on the chin. He was knocked to the floor and Sky pounded the bat into his body. Her emotions rose from inside seeing her father beat her mother in her mind. She saw her father that night with the gun pointed at her. With all her strength she swung the bat into Simon until it was pulled from behind her and she was brought back to the present.  
  
Simon was a bloody mess lying on the floor. His blood splattered on her clothing. Tel was helping Takara to her feet. Sky couldn't believe what she had done. Razor wrapped his arms around her. Shock washed over her. He carried her to his car and placed her in the back. Takara got in back with her and gently stroked her arm. She whispered to her that everything would be all right; Sky just shook her head and cried repeating over and over "I killed him." Paul jumped in back with the girls. Razor and Tel raced upstairs and grabbed everyone's bags and placed them in the trunk. They climbed into the front seat and pulled out of the garage.  
  
Tel was the first to speak up, "Where are we going?"  
  
Takara taps his shoulder, "Let's take her home."  
  
"L.A. here we come." Razor said as he turned onto the highway ramp. 


	15. Leon's First Race

Chapter 15  
  
~ Los Angeles, CA – March 1999~  
  
"We the jury, find the defendant, Thomas Lykens, guilty of the offense of drug trafficking with intent to sell. We also find the defendant guilty of the offense of grand theft." The jury foreman returned to his seat.  
  
The judge thanked the foreman and instructed Tom to stand, "Mr. Lykens you are hereby sentence to 5 – 25 years in the California State Correction System."  
  
Jesse stood and grabbed onto his father, "No. You can't go. Dad." His screams filled the courtroom.  
  
Tom kissed Jesse on the forehead and pulled his arms away. "Take care of him Leon."  
  
Leon held a devastated Jesse sobbing in his arms. Tom was handcuffed and led away through the door out of sight.  
  
"Come on Jess, we have to go." He pulled Jesse to his feet and walked him out of the courtroom.  
  
************************************************************************  
  
~ April 1999 ~  
  
"Jesse are you sure this car can win?" Leon looked over the white Jetta with a nervous eye.  
  
Jesse smiled wide, "This car is gonna smoke them all."  
  
"Glad you're sure. You got some skill to turn your dad's Jetta into this. We got a lot riding on this race, everything we have. We lose, we'll be eatin' outta dumpsters."  
  
"Trust me engines I know. We'll win and have a huge party afterwards." Leon jumped into the driver's seat and fired the engine. The power hummed through the car. He revved the engine feeling the power. Jesse slid into the passenger seat. "You ready?"  
  
"Yeah dawg, I'm ready."  
  
The scene was like something out of movie. Cars lined both sides of the alley with a small group of cars assembled in the middle. Leon backed the Jetta into an empty spot next to a CRX. He and Jess stepped out and checked out the other racers. They spotted a ring of guys talking near the cars in the middle of the alley exchanging money. They approached the apparent leader, a tall muscular man with a shaved head. Leon cleared his throat to get his attention, "Is this race open to anyone?"  
  
A short Mexican to his right laughed, "This is for real racers only rookie. What you drivin'?"  
  
Leon stepped up to the man, "That white Jetta sittin' over there. What you drivin'?"  
  
"Smart ass white boy. That's my baby over there." He said pointing to his Honda. "You think you can beat it."  
  
"The name's Leon and yes I can beat it."  
  
"Dom do you hear this shit? Well Leon you got balls, but do you got the dough?"  
  
"Three thousand. Is that enough?"  
  
The Dom broke in between them, "Yo Hector back off. Give your money to Letty and let's race." They handed in their money and headed for their respective cars. The alley emptied quickly and the racers congregated on a street in the industrial district. Leon let Jesse out of the car near some barely dressed women. He thought that he might as well let him have some fun.  
  
Leon pulled to the line, followed by Hector, Dom and another racer. They revved their engines and flames shot from the exhausts. Each one went through their pre race rituals of checking gauges and systems. Music blared from every car. All eyes were focused on the woman dressed in a black leather skirt and hot pink bra. She dropped her hands and the race began. The race was clearly between Dom and Leon. Hector and the other racer were far behind. The finish line was coming close with the cars reaching speeds of 140. Dom pressed the NOS button and a millisecond later Leon depressed his and passed him for the win. He couldn't believe that he had won his first race. He was pumping his fist in the air and yelling.  
  
The cars turned around and headed back to the start. Jess was standing at the start line with his arms around two women. Their beds wouldn't be cold that night Leon thought to himself. He jumped out of the car and a swarm of people closed in.  
  
Dom walked over with the cash in his hand, "This is all yours, but first you have to tell me what you got under the hood of that car."  
  
Leon grinned from ear to ear, "You'll have to ask the mad scientist over there. He built it. The best engine man anywhere." He motioned for Jesse to come over.  
  
Dom couldn't believe a kid built that car, but he admired his talent. "You come to my party tonight. We got things to discuss." 


	16. Welcome to the Team?

Chapter 16  
  
The street was jammed with cars on both sides. Dom pulled into the driveway followed by Letty. Leon parked the Jetta in front of the house. Dom stepped out of his car and the other racers follow suit. Jesse counted about 50 people and he wondered how they would all fit into the house. Dom walked up the stairs to the front door and it opened. A young woman with long black hair greeted him. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her forehead. She smiled and pushed him away. She moved to the side and Dom entered the house. People filtered in behind him. Leon and Jesse headed into the growing party.  
  
Dom sat on the couch with his arms stretched across the back. Women flocked to his side, to the disappointment of Letty. She took a seat in the chair and shot the girls an evil look. Her mood perked up when Leon walked in the room. "If you can beat'em, join'em." She said under her breath. "Hey boy. Nice drivin'. You deserve a trophy." Letty moved close to Leon and whispered in his ear, "Can you handle this?" She took his hand and placed it on her ass. "Like you handled that car tonight."  
  
"Ya know it." He growled in her ear pulling her close.  
  
A large arm pushed Leon away. "You can have any woman in the place, but not this one. She's with me." Dom said wrapping his arms tightly around Letty's waist. "You and your friend stay here tonight and enjoy yourselves. Tomorrow we can discuss you guys working for me. There's a couple of bedrooms in the basement. Help yourself. I'm going to take my woman to bed."  
  
He picked Letty up in his massive arms and carried her up the stairs to his room. She lay across the bed and stared at him, "What's up with that shit downstairs?"  
  
"Just what I said you're with me." She eyed him sharply. "Damn Let what do you want me to say? Those girls don't mean shit to me; it's just an act. I got a reputation to worry about."  
  
"So that's why you fucked Carly Tran, to save your precious reputation. Is that all you care about? What everyone thinks of you?" She got up from the bed and walked to the door.  
  
He grabbed her, "Letty it was a mistake, you know that. How many times do I have to say I'm sorry? You're driving me crazy." He paced back in forth rubbing his hand across his shaved head.  
  
"It's not what you say, it's what you do? How can I trust you?" Her words cut through him. She couldn't trust him because he couldn't trust himself. So many girls he had cheated on her with. He knew that she deserves better, but he couldn't live without her. Letty laughed at the sight of Dom's worried expression. Her hands moved inside of his shirt and across his rippled stomach. She lifted his shirt and threw it in the corner. She placed delicate kisses on his chest. He moaned deeply. "Like that do ya? Well how about this?" Her hands moved down to the button of his jeans and then to his zipper.  
  
************************************************************************  
  
Leon watched Dom carry Letty up the stairs. The women that had been curled up next to Dom circled around him, not one of them fully clothed. He excused himself and headed to the kitchen for another beer.  
  
"Can you hand me an iced tea?"  
  
Leon turned around to find the young dark haired woman standing behind him, "Here you go." He handed her the bottle of tea and began to walk out of the room.  
  
"Hey wait. I heard you beat my brother tonight."  
  
"Dom's your brother huh?" He looked at her eyes and noticed the resemblance. Her smile was soft.  
  
"I'm Mia and you are?"  
  
"Leon."  
  
"So Leon why are you hiding in the kitchen? You're the big winner tonight, you can have any of those girls."  
  
"That's just it. I'm not into any of them. Had I lost tonight they wouldn't give me the time of day."  
  
"That's the way the game goes. You win, you get your choice; you lose, you get nothing."  
  
"Not in the mood for games."  
  
"That'll change trust me. Hang around Dom and his friends long enough and you'll be with someone different every night."  
  
"Why'd you say that?"  
  
"Seen it happen. Take the big guy in there playing guitar. His name's Vince, Dom's best friend since the third grade, he had a sweet girlfriend who would do anything for him. They were together for three years and then he started hanging around all those girls after the races. He cheated on his girl and she left him. Now, he takes his pick every race night, never getting serious with any of them. Anyways would you like to know where you are sleeping tonight?"  
  
"I have to find Jesse first."  
  
"Young boy, kinda cute wearing a beanie? Yeah I showed him to his room a little while ago. He had a girl with him."  
  
"That's Jesse. You two must be close in age."  
  
"He's a year and half older than me. We talked for a bit. Come on your room is next door to his in the basement."  
  
************************************************************************  
  
"Good afternoon, Leon." Dom grumbled from the dining room table as Leon walked into the room. "Sleep well."  
  
"Yeah. Thanks for letting us stay here."  
  
"How would you like to make it a permanent arrangement?"  
  
"I'm listening."  
  
"That kid is a genius and you're a top rate mechanic. I want you to come work for me at my garage. If you work out you can join the team."  
  
"Team?"  
  
"Street racing team. You're good and with my help you can be better. Here's the deal. You work at the shop during the day, race with us at night. You keep 70% of your race winnings the rest goes to the team to fix our cars and you stay here for free. It's the same deal for everyone. So what'd you think?"  
  
"Count me and Jesse in." Jesse smiled from the doorway where he had been standing the whole time. 


	17. Memory Lane

Chapter 17  
  
~ July 2000 ~  
  
They had been driving for twelve hours and decided to get a room for the night and get some sleep in Chicago. Razor pulled into the parking lot of the hotel and walked into the office. A few minutes later he came back with two keys. "Got us two rooms next to each other. Everybody out, the rooms are right over there." He pointed to the first floor near the pool. They piled out and grabbed their bags from the trunk.  
  
Takara followed Sky into their room and the boys took the other. Sky silently made her way to the bathroom and stripped off her bloody clothes. She looked in the mirror and tried to wipe away the streaks of Simon's blood on her face. She stepped into the shower and turned the water on letting the water wash away the memories of what she had done. Takara was fast asleep when Sky got out of the shower. She took out a notepad and quickly wrote a goodbye letter to her and the guys. She called the front desk and asked for a taxi to pick her up.  
  
After one last look around, Sky walked out of the room and out to the waiting taxi. "Chicago O'Hare please and there's extra if you get me there fast."  
  
"Yes mamn."  
  
The taxi practically flew to the airport for which Sky was very happy. She paid the man an extra $30 and ran quickly into the terminal. The woman at the counter looked her up and down, "May I help you?"  
  
"Yeah you can. I need to be on the next flight to LAX and no I don't care how much it costs. I can cover it believe me."  
  
"One moment." Her fingers moved quickly over the keys. "We have a flight leaving in an hour non-stop arriving in Los Angeles International at 10:21 pm. Would you like to book that flight?"  
  
"Yes." She pulled out a wad of cash. "How much?"  
  
"This seat is in first class. The cost will be $2563."  
  
"Are you kidding me? Whatever. Here." She handed over the cash.  
  
"I will need an identification card and do you have any baggage to check?"  
  
Sky reached into her backpack and pulled out the fake ID that Takara had made for her a couple of years back, so they could go clubbing. The name read 'Skylar Davison'. If things had been different maybe that's what it would have been, but that didn't matter. She handed it and her duffel bag over to the woman.  
  
"Ms. Davison, here is your boarding pass. Enjoy your flight."  
  
"Thanks." She took the boarding pass and her ID and headed for the security checkpoint.  
  
The flight was uneventful. Sky tried to sleep, but couldn't get the image of Simon out of her head. Her return would not have the happy ending she had envisioned. She had come home to say goodbye one last time.  
  
************************************************************************  
  
The yellow Skyline sped down the block. He took in the scenery of the old neighborhood. Not much had changed in his opinion. The same people lived in the same houses. He had taken this trip down memory lane every few months since she left.  
  
The brick house sat empty and boarded up. He needed to be close to her things, close to her. He pulled into the driveway. Slowly his steps took him to the backdoor of the house.  
  
The padlock on the door had been busted. He rushed in to find what had been taken. To his amazement everything was still in place and undisturbed. Thoughts ran through his mind. Thoughts of her laugh and the way she would twirl a strand of her hair around her finger when she was thinking. A large portrait of the family hung over the mantle. Staring at the photo it was like she was looking back at him. Carefully, he walked up the stairs to the second floor. He turned the corner to find a woman huddled on the floor with a gun in her hand. Her waist length blond hair was disheveled. She looked up at him; her once vibrant eyes were dull and rimmed in red. He recognized her at once. His heart dropped to the floor. "Sky is it really you?" His voice was soft, fearing he would wake himself from the dream and it would be over.  
  
"Please go away. Please just leave now. I don't want you to see this."  
  
"Sky what are you doing? Baby, take my hand. Let's get out of here." He watched her put the gun to her head. "Stop put it down now. Talk to me."  
  
"It's too late." She turned off the safety and put her finger on the trigger. "I don't know what else I can do. I'm really screwed up this time."  
  
"Don't you even think about pulling that trigger. Nothin' you've done could be that bad. I know you girl."  
  
"Do you? Do you really know me?" Her left hand was wrapped tightly in her hair. "I'm not that girl you knew. You don't understand." The index finger of her right hand was pushing down on the trigger. "Go away now. This is my problem now."  
  
He moved closer to her his hand on her thigh, "Please give me a chance to help. Talk to me. It's not worth it girl. Don't do this to yourself."  
  
"You can't always ride up on your white horse to save me. Go back to your life and forget that you ever found me."  
  
"You're wrong. I will always be here to save you. Why are you doing this?" His hands were shaking as he slowly moved closer to the gun.  
  
"I killed a man. I beat him with a baseball bat until he died. Do you still want to save me? Do you think I deserve to live?"  
  
He was just inches from her, "Yeah."  
  
"Why?" Tears were rolling down her cheek and the hand holding the gun was shaking.  
  
"Cause I love you and I know that you'd never hurt someone who didn't deserve it." In a flash, he took the gun from her hand and popped the clip out. He removed the bullet from the chamber and threw it to the other end of the hall. Her body collapsed in his arms. He pulled her into his lap and rocked back and forth, "I'll fix it. Don't you worry. Nothin gonna happen to you ever again." Her cries echoed through the house. "It's alright baby." He lifted her chin with his fingers. "How long have you been here?"  
  
"Days. A week. I just don't know."  
  
"You don't need to worry anymore. I'm here to take care of you." He rocked her in his arms until she gave into her exhaustion and slept. He carefully carried her to his car and seat-belted he in. He grabbed a duffel bag and backpack he found in the kitchen. She was still sound asleep when he slid into his car. He was saddened by the condition she was in. Her skin was pale and dirty. It almost made him want to cry.  
  
During the quiet ride home he tried to think of how to explain to Dom the situation. He hoped that Dom wouldn't mind Sky staying with the team. They arrived at the house to find no one at home. Just as well Leon thought, as it gave him more time to have Sky to himself. He woke Sky from her slumber. "Damn girl you slept the whole way. Am I that boring? Look I got food too." He waved a bag of food in her face. The worried expression was still upon her face. "Stop it. Everything will be ok. I'll handle it. Please just smile for me once." His arms enveloped her and a tiny smile appeared on her face. He unlocked the door and took her to his room.  
  
After a long hot shower together, Leon carried Sky back to his room. She lay with her head on his chest and her hand over his heart. "I love you." She said softly before drifting off into sleep. Leon picked up his phone and dialed Jess at the shop.  
  
"DT what can I do for ya?" Jesse laughed into the phone.  
  
"Yo dawg, need a favor."  
  
"Anything Leon. What is it?"  
  
"Need you to check out a few people. The first is a guy named Simon Zynne, last known address in New York City. The second is Skylar."  
  
Jesse broke in "Let me guess Skylar Elizabeth Thomas, right. Damn man I've been looking her up for you every year since."  
  
"Since '95."  
  
"Yeah. Wish you would find this mystery girl."  
  
"I found her. She sleeping right next to me."  
  
Jesse scratched his head, "So why ya looking her up?"  
  
"She got herself mixed up in some shit and I want to know what. Hey check out the name Skylar Maria Davison, too."  
  
"Shit did you two get married?"  
  
"No, but I found it on an ID in her bag. Just check it out and get back to me."  
  
"No Problem." 


	18. The Details

Chapter 18  
  
Jesse tiptoed into the room and slid over to the bed. Lightly, he shook Leon awake. "No wonder you kept looking for her. She's hot."  
  
"Jess, stop checkin' out my woman while she's asleep."  
  
"Get up. You gotta see the info I dug up on that guy."  
  
Leon looked shocked, "How did you get it so fast?"  
  
"If I told you, I'd have to kill you." He chuckled and walks to the door. "Get out of bed and come on."  
  
Leon sighed heavily and tried to maneuver out from underneath of Sky. Gently he laid her head on the pillow and scooted out of the sheets. She mumbled something and then settled down against the pillow. Quickly, he slipped his jeans over his boxers and followed Jesse out the door.  
  
As soon as they left the room Jesse flashed him a couple of photos, "This was the Zynne's girlfriend ten years ago. When she tried to leave he did that to her." Leon studied the first photo of a young woman with multiple slashes across her face. He shudders as he took a look at the next photo showing the mutilated body. "It's sick man. The guy didn't even do time for this. He pled insanity and spent two years in a mental hospital. After that he was free."  
  
"You're kiddin me."  
  
"Kid you not. His whole record is like that. When he was a kid he stabbed his own mother. They locked him up in a group home. Every time he got away with it on an insanity plea."  
  
"What the hell was Sky doing with this guy?" Leon wondered if this guy hurt her in any way.  
  
"But that's not it. He was arrested six days ago at a warehouse full of stolen cars, but a deal must have went bad."  
  
"Why do you say that?"  
  
"Take a look at his mug shots. Looks like someone took a crowbar to his face."  
  
"Actually it was an aluminum baseball bat." He looked over the and wondered how someone as small as Sky could inflict so much damage.  
  
Jess arched his eyebrow, "How do you know that?"  
  
"For whatever reason Sky did this. She thought she killed him."  
  
"Do you know how long she was with this guy?"  
  
"Hell dawg I don't know anything. Look I need some time alone with her to get the full story. Do you think you can stall the others at the shop for a while?"  
  
"Yeah. Call me when you're ready for us."  
  
"Ya got it." He said goodbye to Jess and walked back to his room. He hates to wake her, but he needed to get to the bottom of this. He brushed her hair away from her face and called her name. She stretched her body and opened her eyes. "Come on we need to talk." The seriousness of his tone caused her to move quickly. She removed the sheet and sat on the edge of the bed next to him. "I need to know everything Sky whether you thinks it's important or not."  
  
Their eyes met and concern filled her, "Where do you want me to start?"  
  
"The last time we saw each other. I need to know everything if I'm gonna help you."  
  
She took a deep breath and began, "The cop finally overpowered me and got the cuffs on. Not to say that I stopped fighting. He threw me in the car and I kept kicking the glass and his cage. Cause I wouldn't be a good girl, he pulled me out and hogtied me. Busting my head on the ground in the process. Got a trip to the ER for stitches and I met this really great nurse. She even delivered a message to my cousin V for me. Do you really want to know all the boring details?"  
  
"Yeah keep going."  
  
"Fine. I was locked up in a juvenile detention center. Was only there a few hours when I passed out and they took me back to the hospital. Seems I had a bad infection with a high fever. Anyway, the courts put me on house arrest for running away and they gave temporary custody of me to my cousin. They made me where a stupid box on my ankle to make sure I wouldn't run again. But it was nice to be with family. V even brought my car to the house and it was just as I thought it would be. He amped up the horsepower and the stereo system was perfect. I could drive it up and down the block, but no further."  
  
"Sounds like you were having fun." He said in a solemn tone.  
  
"You don't know how bad I wanted you there. I sent V and his friends out to look for you. Always the same result though, they couldn't find you. Every time V came back he would frown at me and walk away. He hated to see me so sad and it broke my heart to think you were alone." She paused to wipe a tear from her cheek. "V petitioned for custody for me, but the judge thought he was too young to handle the responsibilities of a teenage girl. They sent me to live with my grandparents in New Jersey."  
  
"And you ran away again. Damn I shouldn't have left you. How did you get mixed up with Simon?"  
  
Sky shook her head and laughed, "How do I always get myself in trouble? Lucky I guess. My dear grandparents' tried to put me in a girls' home. I ended up in New York City. Met a guy named Razor who was having trouble breaking into a car and I gave him a helping hand."  
  
"You're fucking joking. Damn it Sky do you ever think? Helping some strange guy break into a car. He could have killed you and since when did you learn how to break into cars?" He got up from the bed and leaned against the dresser shaking his head.  
  
"It's call survival Leon. I did what I had to do. My cousin taught me how to unlock car doors."  
  
"Not the mysterious V."  
  
"Yeah. Why?"  
  
"Never mind. What happened next?"  
  
"Turns out we stole the wrong car. Simon said he would give me a job if Razor and I could get the right car. Of course we did. I only planned on staying there until I turned 18, but I couldn't leave Takara. She was Simon's girlfriend and he said he would kill her if she left and I believed him."  
  
"So you put yourself in danger. What if he would have killed you? No one would have known because you just disappeared. What the hell were you thinking?" Leon pushed off the dresser and stomped out of the room. He was furious for her not staying at the girl's home. Two years was all the time she had to do and then none of the crap would have happened. He walked into the living room and paced back and forth.  
  
She walked up and tripped him. He fell to the floor and she straddled him pinning down his shoulders. "You are one stubborn man you know that. Look I couldn't just leave her there. Not after what I grew up watching, what we grew up watching. She was scared to leave. He kept beating her though and one day she decided to leave with me no matter what. We waited until he left to do a money drop and we hurried and packed. He came back early and caught her alone in the garage. I heard her screaming and I grabbed the bat. I don't know what I was thinking. He outweighed me by 200lbs. When he saw me, he charged and I caught him on the jaw before he could touch me. I just kept beating him until Razor stopped me." Tears streamed down her face. "I did what I had to do to save her. I didn't mean to kill him."  
  
"Are you done?"  
  
"Yeah I guess I am." She lifted off his shoulders and began to get up, but he pulled her back down.  
  
"I'm not mad at you Sky. But fuck the illegal shit you were doing could have gotten you put in jail or worse dead. Boosting cars is plain stupid. I understand you did what you had to do to survive. Just wish you were never in the position to have to make a choice like that and to have to be around someone like that."  
  
She nodded, "But I went too far and now he's dead."  
  
"You didn't kill him."  
  
"What?"  
  
"He's not dead girl. Not saying you didn't rearrange his face, but he's alive and well and incarcerated." With a sigh of relief she let the tension leave her body. "Now you're safe. Back to this mysterious cousin of yours, if he races I am sure I know him."  
  
"I figured as much considering the car you are driving. I'm not stupid Leon. That's a Nissan Skyline and pretty rare for the states. Stole one in New York once. Kinda fun to drive, but from the sound of that engine yours ain't stock. So did you win the lottery or are you knocking over convenience stores in your spare time?"  
  
"It's complicated." He smirked.  
  
"What isn't?"  
  
"This." One hand slid around the small of her back and the other rested on the back of her neck. He drew her close to him. His lips met hers in a deep kiss. Their tongues moved around in a rhythmic dance. His hand moved down from her back. They broke the kiss both breathing heavy. He rolled her onto her back; with an evil grin he lifted her shirt and placed kisses on her belly. He ran the tip of his tongue from her navel to her between her breasts. Teasing her he licked around her nipple. He laughed and covered her nipple with his mouth sending shockwaves down her spine. She arched her back and dug her nails into his shoulders. She pulled him up and kissed him full on the lips and then pulled back looking directly into his green eyes. Leon laughed, "What are you thinking about?"  
  
She smiled at him, "How much I would just love to take you back to bed?"  
  
"Your wish is my command." 


	19. Looking for Answers

Chapter 19  
  
Leon waited until Sky was sound asleep again then went back upstairs to look over the information Jesse brought him. He couldn't seem to shake a suspicion that she was not being entirely truthful. He laid the papers out on the table and examined each one closely searching for any detail he might have missed. He decided to take this search from another angle and ran down the stairs to get her bags.  
  
He dumped the contents of the backpack on the living room floor and sorted through the pile. Insignificant things he placed to the side. The first thing that caught his eye was a small photo album. The first photo was of Sky with another woman. He removed the picture from its sleeve and read the writing on the back, "Takara and Sky. Christmas 1997. So this is Takara." He put the photo back in the album and thumbed through stopping at a photo of Sky sitting on some guy's lap. He pulled it out to read the back, but it had no writing or date. He pushed the photo back and threw the album back into the backpack not wanting to acknowledge his jealousy. Nothing in the bag answered the questions swirling around his head, if anything it just added more questions to the list. Leon pulled the green duffel into his lap and starts emptying the contents. He found mostly clothes, shoes and more photos. What he found at the bottom of the bag concerned him, a large amount of cash. Leon picked up the phone and dialed the shop.  
  
Letty answered the phone after four rings, "DT."  
  
"Yo Let, girl how ya doing?"  
  
"Good. What's up?"  
  
"Is Dom around? Need to talk to him." He said nervously as he tried to count the wads of cash sitting between his legs.  
  
"You don't sound so good. Hold on I'll get Dom." Letty set the phone down and called out for Dom. She got no answer back. "Boy I don't know where he is. Look I go find him and we'll head home."  
  
"See ya in a few." He hung up the phone. Within minutes he heard the sound of performance cars pulling into the driveway. Dom strolled in the door followed by Letty and Jesse.  
  
"What's all this shit?" Dom said checking out the mess Leon had made in the living room. "Mia's gonna have your ass."  
  
"Dom tell me what 22 year old woman you know would be traveling cross country with 500 thousand dollars in the bottom of a duffel bag?" He showed Dom the cash.  
  
"That's a whole lot of cash. Whose bag is that?"  
  
"Long lost friend of mine. She's asleep downstairs."  
  
"What'd we know about this girl?"  
  
Jesse handed Dom a stack of papers, "She doesn't have much of a record cause she's been listed as missing for the last six years. He dad went psycho and shot her mom and her, then he turned the gun on himself." Leon looked down at the ground not wanting to relive the details from that night. Jesse noticed the sad look on his face, "Sorry Leon."  
  
Dom looked down at Leon sitting on the floor, "How do you know her?"  
  
"She was my girlfriend, lived across the street from each other. I was there the night she was shot. Held her in my arms until the cops showed up." His voice was low and deep. "Took her to the beach for her birthday. She was so happy to get away." He paused and ran his hands over his face and through his hair. "We said goodnight and 10 minutes later she was laying in the hall near her room covered in blood." Letty walked over and put her arms around Leon's shoulders.  
  
"Oh shit." Dom put the papers down on the table. "Riverside right? Her dad was a local cop?" Leon nodded his head. "Skylar Thomas, she's Vince's cousin. Now who's going to tell me where she's been for the last six years?"  
  
Leon handed Dom the paperwork on Simon and explained what Sky has been up to. The whole time Dom just stared in disbelief as the tale unfolded. He picked up the phone and told Vince to come home and to pick Mia up on the way. Leon packed her belongings back into the duffel and went to his room to check on her. She was still asleep with a strand of hair wrapped around her finger. He placed the bags back on the floor and went back upstairs to wait for Vince's arrival.  
  
Vince walked in to find everyone sitting in the living room quietly watching the TV. Dom got up and motioned for him to walk upstairs with him. "What's this about brother?"  
  
"Your cousin Sky is here and before you go charging down the stairs I have to tell you some things. She's been in some trouble since she left. Nothing we can't handle but you need to know."  
  
"Where is she?"  
  
"You can see her in a minute." Dom said pushing Vince back from the door.  
  
"Bullshit, where is she?" His voice was loud and full of anger.  
  
Dom shook his head, "Are you gonna listen? You can't go busting in on her right now. She's sleeping in Leon's bed."  
  
Vince pushed past Dom and down the steps. He headed right for Leon punching him hard in the jaw and knocking him back into the chair. Leon was stunned by the blow and braced for the next.  
  
Dom stepped in between Leon and Vince. He shoved Vince backwards. "Enough. Vince, calm the hell down." Dom and Vince were standing eye to eye waiting for the other to back down. Vince gave in and took a seat next to Mia on the couch. Dom turned to Leon, "Go get her." Leon quietly left the room. 


	20. Explanations

Chapter 20  
  
Leon walked into his room and looked down at a naked Sky curled up with his pillow and barely covered by the corner of the sheet. He hated to wake her, as she hadn't probably slept in days. What he really wanted to do was feel her bare skin against his. He shook his head trying to get his mind clear. Of course it didn't work and the more he looked at her body the hotter it felt in the room. He sat down on the bed next to her and gently stroked her shoulder, "Hey beautiful, wake up. Gotta talk to you." Her eyes eased open slightly and then closed again once she realized who it was. "Oh come on Sky. Get up."  
  
She smiled seductively and glanced up at his eyes, "Baby why don't you take those pants off and get back into bed with me." Her hand slid across the front of his jeans. "You know you want to."  
  
Leon jumped off the bed and paced back and forth in front of the bed, "Stop. Damn girl I do want to, but we need to talk." From the look on his face, she knew that it was serious. She sat up in the bed and pulled the sheet to cover up. He took a seat back on the bed facing her. "You know how you were talking about your cousin V." She nodded her head. "Well it turns out I do know him, pretty well actually."  
  
"Are you serious? By the way, what the hell happened to you jaw?" Her hand brushed against the already visible bruise on the right side of his chin.  
  
"Vince telling me what he thought of you being in my bed."  
  
Sky jumped out of the bed and started pulling clothes out of her duffel. She pulled on a white thong and a white cropped tank top. "What the fuck is his problem? It's none of his business anyway."  
  
"They want us upstairs to talk." Leon hoped Dom didn't decide to talk with his fist too.  
  
"Who the hell are "they"?" She said slipping on a satin mesh pair of blue track pants.  
  
"The team."  
  
Sky tied her long blond hair back into a ponytail. She took a look in the mirror and pushed back the stray hairs behind her ears. "You're on a racing team with my cousin? Let me guess who the leader of this team is. Dominic Toretto right?"  
  
"Yeah this is his house. The whole team lives here. How'd you know?"  
  
Sky turned around and smirks, "Those two have been inseparable since the third damn grade. Where ever one is the other ain't far behind. You can't have one without the other. How the hell did you ever get mixed up with them?"  
  
Leon laughed remembering that night he and Jesse came to live here, "Beat Dom in a race and he invited me and Jesse to the house. We never left."  
  
Sky stared at Leon in disbelief, "Yeah right." Her disbelief turned to laughter. "Ha you are full of shit you know that right? You beat Dom. That boy was fast six years ago and I'm sure he's gotten even faster. Beside his dad's an amazing racer and I know he's taught him everything he knows."  
  
Leon stopped smiling and looked down at the floor, "Dom's dad was an amazing racer from what I heard."  
  
"What do you mean was?" She was puzzled by the way that Leon is referring to him in the past tense.  
  
"Dom's dad died in crash on the last lap of a race. A car sent him into the wall and he died on impact. That was some five years ago. Dom went ballistic and beat the guy who caused the accident and spent two years in Lompoc. But girl don't bring that shit up around him ok."  
  
"Yeah I won't. I just can't believe that Nino's dead. Did you know him?" She wiped the tears from her cheeks.  
  
"Nah only known Dom about a year."  
  
"Nino was a great man. He was the kinda Dad I always wished I had. He loved his kids and even kids that weren't his. Since I couldn't leave the house, he would come over to my aunt's place and teach me the different parts of my car and what they did. He would even bring Mia over to spend the night. She was a few years younger than me, but it was better than hanging with V the whole time. Damn I guess shit changes a lot in six years huh?"  
  
Leon put his arms around her waist and pressed his body against hers, "Not everything changes girl. I still love you." He moved in for a kiss, but was stopped by a knock at the door. "Who is it?"  
  
The door slammed open and Dom stood in the open doorway, "What's taking so long?" He growled.  
  
Sky stepped out from behind Leon, "Sorry Dom I had to get dressed and you know women take forever."  
  
'Damn she grew up. Now that's a nice body. Shit who could blame Leon for tapping that.' Dom said to himself. "Where the hell have you been Skylark?"  
  
"Funny Dom real funny." She punched him in the chest. They both laughed out loud and embraced.  
  
"Am I missing something?" Leon tried to figure out what was so funny.  
  
Dom pushed Sky behind him and whispered to Leon, "And you say you know her. Don't tell me you haven't heard the story of how she got her name." Sky tried to get back in front of Dom to shut his mouth. She climbed on his back and put her hands on his mouth. Dom grabbed her hands and held them tightly. "Well you see Sky couldn't wait to get out into the world that she was born in the front seat of her parents' '71 Skylark. So they named her after the car. Hell for a few days the name on her birth certificate read Buick Skylark. Then her mom changed her mind and dropped the Buick and the 'k'."  
  
"Ya pullin' my leg dawg."  
  
"Vince has a copy of the first birth certificate."  
  
Sky jumped off Dom's back and slapped him hard. "Asshole."  
  
"Enough clowning around, you're gonna tell me what's going on and none of that half the truth shit with me. Got it. Have a seat and start talking." Leon and Sky had a seat on the bed. Dom walked over to the chair in the corner and had a seat after throwing all the garbage and clothes onto the floor. "Leon you ever think about cleaning this mess up? Get talking before Vince gets impatient and comes down here to get the story for himself."  
  
Sky took a deep breath and looked over to Leon. "I can't do this. If I tell you anything it puts your lives in jeopardy. Just let me go and pretend that I never came back." She rose from the bed and went to her bag.  
  
Leon wrapped his arms around her. "Stop running, I won't let anyone hurt you again." He whispered in her ear.  
  
Dom walked over to them, "You're family Sky and no one messes with my family. It's safe here."  
  
"You don't understand. The cars were just the beginning. Simon found out he could make more money doing jobs for the real players in NYC. The real shit was bigger, much bigger. We were pulling off huge jobs like sophisticated robberies and large drug deliveries. Me and the three guys would even run set up for Takara and Simon to perform contract hits."  
  
Dom slumped back in the chair, "Who ordered the hits?"  
  
"Don't know."  
  
Leon was completely shocked by the revelations. He couldn't believe she could do any of those things, "Why didn't you just leave?"  
  
"I tried." She managed to say before the tears began to roll down from her eyes. Leon put his hand on hers and kissed her gently.  
  
Dom came to her side and placed his large hand on her shoulder, "Don't worry about it. Let's get upstairs." Sky nodded and they headed out of the room. 


	21. Happy Reunion?

Chapter 21  
  
The moment Sky walked into the living room everyone fell silent. Dom stood at her right and Leon was standing on her left holding her hand. Dom looked around the room and pointed out each person to Sky then took his seat next to Letty. Vince got up from his seat and walked over to her. Leon backed away to give them space. "Little lost sheep found her way home. Have fun? How fucking stupid can you be? I thought you were dead. Why couldn't you handle two years in that place?"  
  
"Cause I can't be caged." She screamed up at him.  
  
Vince grabbed her by her shoulders and shook her, "Damn Sky you do stupid shit and I'll never get you. First you ran from the hospital and almost died then..."  
  
Leon looked from Sky to Vince, "That was my fault dawg. Don't take it out on her."  
  
Vince let go of her and went after Leon. Both were throwing quick punches at the other. Dom jumped up from the couch, "That's enough. Stop before I lose my temper on you both."  
  
Vince dove down to go after Leon again, but Sky put her body across Leon. "Stop it. Leave him alone." She was so angry with him for hitting Leon, but that faded away as she watched a single tear fall from his eye. It was the first time she had ever seen him show one bit of emotion. He wrapped his big arms around her waist and pulled her off the floor. They were both crying and laughing at the same time.  
  
"I'm sorry Princess. Glad to have you back home. For good right?"  
  
"Yeah V for good as long as you don't mess up my man's face again."  
  
"Aww, it was just a love tap, nothing serious." He nuzzled his beard against her neck tickling her. She screamed and squirmed, but couldn't break free of his iron grip.  
  
"Put me down Vincent now."  
  
"What's the magic word?" He teased her.  
  
"Do it before I kick your ass. How 'bout that?"  
  
Vince tilted his head back and let out a hearty laugh, "No sweetheart that's not the magic word. Try again."  
  
Sky smiled, "How about I tell them who you lost your virginity to?" Vince let her down gently and put his finger to his mouth. "Knew that would work." She put her hand in his messy hair and shuffled it around. "So sensitive about that little one aren't you? It'll be our secret cuz. Don't ya worry."  
  
Dom cleared his throat to get everyone's attention. "I hate to break up this heart warming reunion, but the races are just a couple hours away and we haven't even eaten yet. So if you don't mind Mia could you get dinner started?"  
  
Mia got up from the couch and headed for the kitchen, "Glad to have you back Sky." She whispered as she passed Sky and Vince.  
  
Sky stopped her, "Hey you want some help Mia?"  
  
"Sure." They walked to the kitchen together.  
  
Vince turned his attention to Leon, "Sorry about that brother, it's just she's my baby and all. It's hard to think of her as a woman. Jess filled me in I really should be thanking you for saving her, but I just couldn't resist the chance of messing up that pretty face of yours."  
  
"I am sexy." Leon said as he adjusted his jersey. "Don't worry 'bout it. We're cool."  
  
Letty got up from the couch and headed for the kitchen, "Too much male bonding for me in here." Mia and Sky were standing at the counter cutting up vegetables for the salad. "Hey girls what's for dinner?"  
  
Sky turned around and laughed, "Pizza. It'll be here in 30 minutes. Can't believe they expect us to throw a dinner together and get ready in a few hours. Men."  
  
"You said it girl." Letty says as she snags a piece of cucumber from the cutting board.  
  
"So Letty you got your man after all. I really didn't think it was possible, but you did it."  
  
Letty huffed, "Still working on taming him though. You'll see at the races tonight. Have you ever been to street races?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Keep an eye on your man."  
  
"Why you say that?" Sky eyed Letty. Mia mouthed the word "No" to Letty and waved her hands in back and forth. Sky turned and seen what she was doing. "Mia what's going on? Might as well tell me cause I'm gonna find out sooner or later."  
  
Mia looked out into the living room to make sure the guys couldn't hear them. She turned back to Letty and Sky, "You really should ask Leon."  
  
"Mia come on just tell me."  
  
Mia inhaled and exhaled quickly, "He umm, well he."  
  
Letty grew impatient, "Look your boy's bedroom has a revolving door and there's a different girl in there every race night. Just thought you should know."  
  
Sky was visibly shaken by the news, but she held back the tears. "I can't blame him. He was free to be with whoever he wanted. Of course that stops now. I'll make sure of that tonight." The three girls huddled together closely as Sky filled them in on the details.  
  
After dinner Vince, Leon and Sky headed to the basement to get ready for the races. "I call bathroom first I need a shower." Vince rolled his eyes at her and headed to his room.  
  
"What do you mean baby about needing a shower? You had one earlier."  
  
"But then you went and got me all sweaty again." She said playfully letting the words roll off her tongue. "Wanna join me?"  
  
"Always teasing me girl. We'd never make the races if I get in there with you."  
  
"See ya in a few then baby." With that she walked into the bathroom and shut the door. Leon rested his head on the door and laughed. 'I'm gonna need another cold shower', he said to himself. He walked into his bedroom picked out a pair of baggy blue jeans and a black jersey. He changed and decided to take a nap while his girl got ready.  
  
Leon opened his eyes to find Sky standing in front of his mirror dressed in a pleated leather miniskirt and a shiny blue top that laced down her back tying right above the small of her back. She was trying to figure out how to wear her hair, pulling it up then letting it back down cascading to her waist.  
  
"I like it down." Leon said turning her around and pulling her down onto the bed.  
  
"So you like what I'm wearing then?"  
  
"Oh yeah. Thinking about keeping you to myself tonight. Wanna skip the races?"  
  
Sky jumped off the bed and huffed, "It took me an hour to get ready and now you want to keep me hidden in this room for your own pleasure. I don't think so. You're taking me out."  
  
"Fine. You wanna put some shoes on then so we can get going?" She slipped into a pair of knee high leather boots with two-inch heels. "You know somethin' else is missing."  
  
"What now Leon? Dom has stomped on the floor for the last ten minutes. We need to get going."  
  
"Not before I put this back where it belongs." He pulled a silver chain from his pocket; a heart pendant dangled from the chain. "You remember this?" She wrapped her arms around his neck. "I take that as a yes. Turn around I'll put in on you." He secured the clasp and kissed her on the neck. "Just a few things before we head to the races. I want you to stay near me."  
  
"Damn are you afraid I'm gonna run off with another guy? Should I get a leash?"  
  
"Sky I mean it. We don't know if anyone's looking for you. If you see someone suspicious you tell one of us and we'll take care of it. Besides looking that good, yeah I don't trust no one near that body. You ride with me ok."  
  
"Sure baby." 


	22. Plan in Motion

Chapter 22  
  
The alley was jammed with cars on either side. The crowd cheered upon their arrival. Sky scanned the scene as the team rode into the middle in the V formation. She spied the perfect person to help her put her plan into action. A mischievous smile appeared on her face. If only Leon could have read her thoughts.  
  
Dom was the first to step out of his car. Skanks circled in for the kill like a pack of hungry wolves eyeing a lame deer. Time for Letty to show them who was the alpha female, she sent them a message with her eyes. When they didn't take the hint she walked up to them, "Yo bitches, can't take a hint. Step before I rearrange those pretty little Barbie faces of yours."  
  
Dom became annoyed by the way she handled the situation, "Enough Letty. We're not doing anything but talking."  
  
"Yeah well find someone else to talk to." She said waving the skanks away with her hand.  
  
Dom put his arm around her shoulder and whispered in her ear, "Letty what the hell is your problem?"  
  
"Problem's solved."  
  
Vince and Jesse joined Dom near Hector to discuss the races. Leon and Sky got out of his car. The girls that Letty waved off began to circle around him. Sky took this as her opportunity to get moving. She walked over to a tall brown-haired man standing by a gold Nissan 300zx. "What's it do in the ¼ mile?"  
  
"Runs in the mid 13s. What's your name cutie?"  
  
Sky thought to herself 'this boy moves fast'. She cocked her head to the side and looked into his eyes, "The name's Sky and yours would be?"  
  
"Troy. Not seen you around here before. Do you need someone to show you around? Cause I would love to show you the town baby. Then we could head back to my place and I'll show you around the world."  
  
Sky tried hard not to laugh at the corny pick up line. 'Damn the guys here need to work on this shit'. She moved to get a closer look at the interior of the car. "Have you made any other mods besides the interior?"  
  
Troy put his hand on Sky's shoulder, "So you into cars are you? Yeah I've done a few things to the engine."  
  
"Like what?" Sky said trying to look interested.  
  
Letty and Mia watched Sky talking to Troy. They wondered how long it would take Leon to notice his girl was gone. Letty figured that like most guys he wouldn't notice at all until she gave up and came back to his side. She admired the girl for having the courage to test him in front of everyone, but she hated to see the girl's plans fail. To her Leon was like all the guys at the races with only one purpose, another score.  
  
Leon was deep in conversation with a couple of blonds when he lost sight of Sky. Just seconds ago she was beside his car and then she was nowhere to be seen. He began to panic and pushed past the girls ignoring what they said to him. "How could I let her get away from me? I told her to stay with me. Shit." He muttered. The alley was so packed he couldn't see through the tightly pressed crowd. At the last instant he saw her talking to a guy. The guy reached up and put his hand on her shoulder. Leon calmly walked up to them. "Hey wondered where you went."  
  
Troy dropped his hand fast to his side, "You're here with Toretto's team?"  
  
Sky chuckled, "Yeah this is my."  
  
"I'm her man." Leon finished for her. "And Vince over there is her cousin. So yeah she is here with the team."  
  
Troy stumbled over his words, "We were just talking about my car. Nice meeting you Sky." With that he got into his car leaving Leon and Sky alone.  
  
Leon stoked the soft skin of her face, "Damn girl, don't scare me like that again. Remember what I said about staying with me?" He took her hand and led her back to his car. Leon leaned against his car and placed Sky in front of him with his arms around her waist. Sky winked at Letty.  
  
Dom finished the deal for the race and people began to walk to their cars. Sky went to get into Leon's passenger seat when Letty stopped her, "Hey girl you can't watch the race from his car. Ride with me and you'll see everything."  
  
"Yeah sure. Leon, I'll see you back at the house."  
  
Leon sent Letty an evil look, "Sky be careful. If the cops come in jump in Let's car and get the hell out of there. Got me?"  
  
"Yeah. See ya in a few." She waved to Leon and then got into Letty's car. "Guess I got his attention."  
  
Letty laughed at her, "Now ya just have to keep it."  
  
"Not a problem. I know how to push that boy's buttons."  
  
Cars filled both sides of the street and everyone emerged from their cars. Sky walked over to Vince and leaned against his car. He stuck out his chest and played the protective cousin daring any guy to look her way. Sky rolled hers eyes at him. "What?" He asked innocently.  
  
"Did Leon tell you to keep an eye on me too?"  
  
"Nah. Why?" Vince tried to play dumb.  
  
"Can I see your keys Vince?" She thought that she might as well have fun if they were going to play games. He placed them in her hand. "Hey the race is starting." She said distracting him while she slipped the keys into her pocket. Leon sent the all-clear message and the race began. Dom took the lead off the line. The other racers were no real competition for him and the race ended just as quick as it began. Dom returned to the line to collect his winnings and his woman, but before he could reach the line the call came across the radio "We got cops. Get the hell outta here."  
  
Sky yelled over the noise of the crowd to tell Letty she would ride home with Vince. Sky jumped into the driver's seat and fired the engine. Vince climbed in the passenger seat, "You know your way home?"  
  
She had that mischievous look on her face, "Yeah buckle up and hold on." Sky floored it and darted between two cops. Cars were coming at them from all angles causing her to dodge in and out of traffic. Vince had one hand on the dashboard and one on the door. His knuckles turned white. She spun the car and jetted down an alley with a cop about six car lengths behind. "Your NOS on?"  
  
Vince looked from her to the street and then back to her, "Yeah it's on but it's too risky in here."  
  
"Oh really." She hit the button and they were pushed back into the seats. The cop was a distance memory. "Woo." She screamed and slowed the car for the upcoming turn. Making the turn the rear of the car pulled a little, but she brought it in line and sped down the street. "Can you feel that? Speed boy feel the speed?" Vince looked at her like she had done lost her mind. He knew there would be trouble ahead if she got her own wheels. He would be happy to make it back to the crib in one piece. Sky spotted another cop closing in from the left and she flipped a u-turn. Vince was trying hard to squash the urge to vomit from the wild ride. The cop let off the chase.  
  
"You're gonna get us killed."  
  
"What's your problem chicken shit? I know how to handle a car. Bet I drive better than you." Sky took her hand off the gearshift and shoved him.  
  
"Whatever." He laughed. They eased up to the curb and stopped with a squeal of the tires. They were the first to arrive back at the house. Vince hopped out of the car no longer able to contain the vomit.  
  
"Damn V. Did I scare you that bad? Sorry cuz." She bounced up to the door and searched the key ring for the house key. Once in the house she strolled to the kitchen and grabs two Coronas. Vince was sitting in a recliner when she walked back to the living room. "Here boy wash that shit down with a beer." He grabbed the beer from her hand and downed half of it. "Thirsty? I'll go get you another."  
  
"Thanks Princess." He loved calling her by his pet name because it annoyed her.  
  
Sky opened the fridge and grabbed two more beers. "One of those for me?" Leon greeted her with a deep kiss. "Forget the party. I'm taking you back to bed."  
  
"Not tonight baby I want to dance." She handed the beers to Vince and then turned on the stereo. Sky drug Leon to the middle on the living room and grinded her body against his.  
  
They put on one hell of a show until Dom called an end to it, "Hey take that shit to your room."  
  
They realized that the room was full of people watching them practically get in on in the living room. Leon lifted her from her feet and she wrapped her legs around his waist. Leon turned and smiled to crowd "Don't wake us until late. It's gonna be a long night." 


	23. Getting Settled In

Chapter 23  
  
Leon was sound asleep on his stomach. Sky covered his body with the blanket and slipped out of bed. She glanced back for one last look at him and smiled sweetly. Slipping a towel around her body, she made her way to the bathroom. Thoughts filled her mind as the hot water pulsated against her back. It was hard for her to believe that just a week ago her life seemed all but somehow she had found her salvation and family.  
  
Time to celebrate. She dried off and threw on a pair of black cargos and a hoodie, her usual outfit. "This ain't gonna cut it in this heat." She whispered and picked up a wad of hundreds out of her bag. Vince's keys were still in the skirt she had worn. She pulled the keys out and grabbed Leon's cell phone then rushed up the stairs. Quickly she scribbled a note to the team letting them know where she was heading and to call Leon's cell phone in case of emergency.  
  
Sky fired up the car and flew out of the parking spot leaving a little rubber on the road. Dom hearing the car take off looked out the window. He laughed knowing it's not Vince cause he would never be up that early. Vince would be pissed to know his cousin confiscated his wheels for who knows how long. He rolled back onto his side and held Letty close drifting back to sleep.  
  
Sky pulled up to a clothing store. She strolled inside ready to spend a fortune on a whole new wardrobe similar to what she wore to the races. She wanted to get that kind of response from Leon every night. The lady at the counter asked her if she needed some help. Sky explained what she's looking for. The woman motioned for her granddaughter to help Sky. The girl pulled out some pretty racy clothes in Sky's opinion, but after seeing the girls at the races she knew her competition was fierce.  
  
The first outfit she tried on was a tight skirt with a matching tube top with flames on the bottom of both pieces. She felt silly staring in the mirror trying to look sexy. The next few outfit were pretty much the same just different colors. Then Sky spotted the outfit she had to have, a pair of leather pants that rode very low on the hips with lightning streaks from the bottom of the leg to the hip. She topped it with a lace up the front halter with a hem ending four inches above her navel. "This is daring." She looked in the mirror and took a deep breath. She grabbed a few more pair of leather pants in various colors and designs. She also grabbed a few leather skirt outfits.  
  
Before she knew it, she had bought enough clothes to clothe fifteen girls. She had lots of camo and even a few pairs of jeans. Glancing down at her watch she panicked. She had been gone for three hours and she hadn't even found shoes yet. The lady at the counter rung up the clothing while Sky checked out a couple pair of boots and heels. Sky decided on a pair of knee high lace up boots and a pair of combat boots. The bill came to $4,319,38. She laughed and handed a wad of cash to the woman. "Good thing I brought the four door."  
  
Sky raced towards home scared that Leon had woken up and was having a fit over her leaving on her own. She whipped into a grocery store parking lot and rushed into the store. Breakfast foods were her main priority. The customers gave her strange looks as she zipped from aisle to aisle. Fifteen minutes and a hundred dollars later she was back on the road. To her amazement the house was silent when she unlocked the door. It took four trips to carry all the goods into the house. Leon was still asleep in the position she left him. Sky dropped the clothing bags and headed back upstairs to start breakfast or brunch since it was afternoon.  
  
She slipped her Disturbed CD into the player and played 'Down with the Sickness'. Moving around the kitchen with ease she found the pans and utensils. She turned the coffee maker on and the aroma filled the house. She danced to the music while flipping the pancakes. Sky was making a great deal of food because she knew how much Vince ate and wanted to give everyone else something too. The last song on the CD began to play and breakfast was almost complete. Sky thought it was time to get the whole house up, she turned the stereo to full volume and waited for the troops to bound down the stairs.  
  
Just as she thought they all came running. Dom first, followed by Letty, Mia and Jesse. "What the hell is going on down here?"  
  
Sky smirked, "Breakfast is served."  
  
"Sweet." Jesse exclaimed brushing past everyone to get his seat in the dining room. He started filling his plate not waiting for the team to take their seats.  
  
"You know what this means Jesse. You have to say grace. Yo where's Leon and Vince."  
  
"Right here." Vince called from the top of the basement stairs. He checked out the spread. He swept Jesse's hand away from the food and started to pile things onto his plate. Everyone at the table gave him a dirty look, "Hey it takes a lot of food to fill this belly." He patted his stomach and grinned.  
  
Leon finally made his way up the stairs. "What took you so long Leon?" Jesse said with a mouth full of eggs, some slipping out of his mouth.  
  
Leon walked over and grabbed Sky around her waist, "Had to wade through a mound of shopping bags."  
  
"Sorry 'bout that. Bought a few new outfits. Hey V how much does a set of tires cost for your car?"  
  
Vince stopped shoveling the food in his mouth and swallowed hard, "What did you do?"  
  
"Hehe. Well ya see I needed to go shopping this morning, so I could buy some clothes and food. Since Leon blocked his car in, I had to take yours." His face was turning red and she swore that steam was coming out of his ears. "Things were going great until this stupid punk said a girl like me should leave the driving to my boyfriend."  
  
Vince put his fork down and cracked his knuckles while popping his neck, "What did you do to my car?"  
  
"Well I couldn't just let the asshole talk to me like that, so I raced his ass for his car. I even won. There's just one problem, I think I left most of your rubber on the street."  
  
"You raced my car." His voice boomed through the house.  
  
Sky put her hands on her hips, "What did you want me to do, take his mouth? By the way Cousin, you need to tune that car. If I was racing for real, I would've lost big time."  
  
"Hell no, you insulted my car. Who the hell gave you permission to drive my car?"  
  
"You did silly. Remember you gave me your keys last night." She pulled the key ring out of her pocket and jingled the keys. "You know you should take a lesson from Leon and block your car in. Then I wouldn't be able to get away so easily."  
  
The team burst into laughter. Dom was laughing so hard tears rolled out of his eyes, "You know she's right Vince."  
  
Vince stared at Dom in disbelief, "You gonna side with her."  
  
Dom tapped Vince on the shoulder, "You gave her the keys."  
  
"Oh baby here's your phone back." She set the phone down next to Leon's plate.  
  
Leon pulled Sky into his lap and kissed her on the neck. "We'll get you one of your own today. Now you said you won a car, what kind?" Jesse's ears perked up at the discussion of any car.  
  
"Just a Prelude. I thought that maybe we could sell it and get me something with a little more horsepower."  
  
Jesse rubbed his hand together, "Whatcha have in mind?"  
  
"Thought I'd let you help me decide. We have a pretty sizeable budget, but I am kinda partial to the VR-4." She said with a squint waiting for the guys to start in about her choice.  
  
"Ah shit. That car is too damn heavy and besides it's ugly. Might as well race a tank." Vince put forth his opinion.  
  
Sky huffed, "It's a beautiful car and it's only a few hundred pounds heavier than the Skyline. We can lighten it. Right Jesse?"  
  
"Yeah of course we can." Jesse was trying to determine and calculate the weight loss in his head. "It's gonna take lots of modification girl."  
  
"If you think we should pick a different car that's fine." Sky said defeated.  
  
Jesse put his hand on hers, "Let me work out some specs on my laptop and then we'll talk about getting you a car."  
  
Sky perked up, "Really Jess?"  
  
Leon mouthed the word thanks to Jesse. 


	24. Getting Settled In Cont

Chapter 24  
  
"So whatcha buy?" Leon eyed all the bags on the floor of his room. He counted at least nine bags.  
  
"Clothes." She grinned mischievously then walked over and flung herself on the bed.  
  
"I can see that smart ass. When do I get to see your fine ass in these clothes?" He laid his body across hers and moved his arm under her.  
  
Sky licked her lips, "Well I think you would enjoy "my fine ass" better out of clothes."  
  
Leon saw something deep in her eyes. She was hiding something from him, something that was hurting her. He traces his finger along her brow and down her cheek. Tears began to flow onto his fingertips from the corner of her eyes. His lips brushed softly on her forehead. "Tell me what's got you so upset. You don't have to be strong for me. I'll be strong enough for the both of us."  
  
"I'm so sorry Leon. I'm just not ready to talk about it. Okay?"  
  
He rolled onto his side and pulled her into his arms, "No problem we'll talk when you're ready. Baby girl everything'll be alright." He was interrupted by a knock at the door. Sky wiped her tears and sat up on the bed. Leon cupped her chin in his hand and kissed her cheek. "Be right back." Dom was waiting for him when he stepped into the hall.  
  
"Her car is here. Jess took it for a spin to check it out. What's this shit her running off by herself this morning? We don't know what kinda mess she got herself into or what might come looking for her. She don't go out alone anymore. And she needs to get upstairs and deal with her cousin. Vince is still blowing up about her taking off in his car. I'd watch my car if I was you, she left half of Vince's rubber on the street."  
  
"Shit. Thanks for the heads up." He poked his head in the door, "Yo Sky let's go get that phone."  
  
"Coming baby."  
  
They walked hand in hand up the stairs and found Vince sitting on the couch still pouting about his car. "You owe me a new set of tires."  
  
Sky giggled and plopped down on Vince's lap, "And your point is?"  
  
"Damn it Sky that's not funny." He pushed her off his lap onto the floor and walked over to a stack of magazines. He picked one up and flipped through the pages. Settling on a page in the middle he shoved the magazine at Sky. "Those. I want a set of those."  
  
"Done. We'll order them while we're out shopping. Now help me up off the floor." Vince put out his hand and pulled her up. He sweetly kissed her forehead and turned towards the kitchen for a much needed afternoon snack. 


	25. What's Waiting Around the Corner

Chapter 25  
  
A Month Later  
  
"Let's go people the shop don't open itself." Dom called from the dining room down to Vince, Leon and Sky who were all having trouble getting the lead out that morning.  
  
Vince snorted up at him, "You don't have to deal with Miss Thing in the bathroom taking her own sweet time."  
  
Sky walked out of the bathroom and pushed him against the wall, "Shut the hell up." She lightly punched him in the stomach and then headed up the stairs calling for Leon as she went.  
  
"Coming." He called from the room. "Let's go Coyote." He patted Vince on the shoulder and bounded up the steps.  
  
"Damn." Vince yelled as he walked to the counter to get a cup of coffee. He looked over to Dom, "All night long brother, all night long the two of them are going at it. I can't get any sleep. It's bad enough that he's having sex with my baby cousin, but I don't need to hear it."  
  
"Did you bang on the wall and tell them to cool it?" Dom suppressed a laugh, but knew where Vince was coming from because he could never handle Mia having sex in the room next to his.  
  
Vince downed the last gulp of coffee in his cup and refilled it, "That shit don't work man. They just go at it harder and louder. I can't take it anymore. I just want to go in the room and pound Leon's face in. She's my baby and I want her to be treated with respect not like some whore off the street."  
  
"V, I'll talk to them and see if we can't work something out."  
  
"Thanks brother."  
  
"If not we can always take him out back and beat the shit out of him for fun."  
  
Vince's eyes lit up, "Really?"  
  
"Hell no Vince I was just kidding. Leon's like a brother to us both and like it or not he loves that girl. They're just making up for lost time."  
  
"I know. You're right, but can I at least rough him up a little bit?"  
  
"No. Let's go. There's a lot of work to get done today."  
  
~Noon~  
  
"Skylar, can you go get some lunch for us?" Dom yelled from the office. "We're not going to get much of a break today."  
  
Sky rolled out underneath the Eclipse she was working on. "Alright boys who's giving up their ride for me to drive?"  
  
"I got a better idea." Leon said as he walked up behind her and took her hand.  
  
"No time for that right now Leon." She playfully pulled her hand away only to have him grab it back.  
  
"Get your mind out of the gutter. I wasn't talking about that." She frowned at his words. "We'll do that later in the shower when we get home." Vince growled from under the hood of a car. "Aww Coyote we'll leave you some hot water. But seriously baby, Jesse and I have a little surprise for you."  
  
"Oh really? Do I get to drive your car?" She grinned. He said no and motioned out the garage door. She stepped out into the sunlight and found Jesse standing by a 1995 midnight blue Mitsubishi 3000GT VR-4 twin turbo. "Oh my god. Oh my. Is it?" She stuttered over her words.  
  
Jesse held out the keys, "It's all yours."  
  
"Welcome to the team." Dom hugged Sky from behind. "Now it took us a little time to figure out what number to give you, but Leon insisted that it should be 13. He said it was your lucky number."  
  
Sky laughed "Hell yeah, with the kinda luck I have it's the perfect number.."  
  
Leon smiled, "Your luck hasn't been too bad lately."  
  
Jesse was growing impatient so he walked over and grabbed Sky's hand. He led her to the car and opened the door for her, "I'm hungry. Please go get us some food."  
  
She kissed him on the cheek and stole his beanie, "I'm just going to borrow this for a bit." She pulled it onto her head. Sky slipped into her car and fired the engine.  
  
"You look like you belong in that car." Letty yelled to Sky.  
  
"Ya think so girl. Guess we going to have to show them girls up on race night."  
  
Letty snickered, "Ya know it. Now get out there on the road and see how you feel behind the wheel." Sky put the car in reverse and backed out of the driveway, then slammed it in first and left smoke and rubber behind her. She dialed up Mia and told her the lunch order. Sky told her not to hurry making the food cause she was going to take the car around a bit before stopping in to get the food.  
  
Sky made her way around town trying to see what power the car had. She knew that she owed the team big for everything they had done for her. An SUV in her mirror caught her attention. It seemed to have been following her since she left the shop. She ducked down an alley to see if it followed and sure enough it did. Her heart was racing. Without knowing it she had fallen into a trap. Another SUV pulled into the alley boxing her in. "Shit. Shit." Sky didn't have time to react as she was pulled from the car. A man shoved her against the wall and forced her to look at his face.  
  
It was Simon.  
  
**What happens next? You'll have to wait until Chapter 26 to find out. And as always read and review. Even if you hate it let me know and if you think there's something wrong with it tell me, but I do love to hear if you liked too.** 


	26. Decisions

Chapter 26  
  
Sky closed her eyes afraid to look at Simon's disfigured face. A thick scar went from the corner of his left eye down to his chin. Another scar ran from his crooked off center nose through his top lip. All damage Sky caused with the swing of a bat in a fit of uncontrolled anger. Simon pressed his hand hard into her throat. "Open your eyes and look at me bitch. Come on take a look at your handy work. Pretty nice job huh?"  
  
"What the fuck do you want Simon? Another ass kicking?" She just couldn't help her sarcastic attitude, but Simon made her pay for the comment with a punch to the stomach. He released his grip on her throat and she fell to the ground trying to recover her breath.  
  
"Still the smart ass I see. Get up." He kicked her in the side.  
  
Slowly Sky recovered from the blow. Dirt and gravel were imbedded in her hands and knees from the fall. She looked him in the eyes showing no fear. "Hit me again what's it prove. You're twice my size and I think I did a hell of a lot more damage to you than you can ever do to me."  
  
"Wrong. Hurting you is quite simple. Perhaps something terrible happening to a certain yellow Nissan or maybe the blue Nissan. Take your pick. Which one would you be willing to sacrifice, your cousin or your lover? I've been watching you. I know who you're with, what they drive, their routine. Do you know how easy it would be to kill them all? One by one until you were the only one left. Now you can save you little precious family by simply working for me."  
  
"You're fucking crazy. There's no way I'm working for you again. You're bluffing. You don't have the balls to pull off any of that shit." Sky took a step back and leaned against the wall and crossed her arms. "What else you got?" She grinned.  
  
"Thought you could use a little more convincing. Get him." Simon instructed the driver of the second SUV. He pulled a man from out of the backseat and put a gun to the man's head.  
  
Sky's heart dropped, "Razor."  
  
Simon laughed loud, "Work for me or I'll kill him right here, right now."  
  
Reluctantly Sky agreed to work for Simon. He gave her a two-way messenger and left in his SUV, leaving Sky and Razor alone in the alley. They rushed into each other's arms and were thankful to still have their lives. "What are you doing in L.A. Razor?"  
  
Sweetly he kissed her face, "Been looking for you. Why the hell did you run off like that?"  
  
"I thought it was best. Thought I was wanted for murder and didn't want to get you guys mixed up in the shit. Where are the others?"  
  
With his right hand he moved a strand of hair from in front of her face, "They others are in Miami staying with Takara's folks. Thought it would be best for her to be where she could be protected, but I couldn't leave here until I found you. Aren't you happy to see me?"  
  
Closing her eyes, she moved away from him, "I am, but this only complicates matters. I found him Razor. I found Leon and we're together now."  
  
A smile appeared on his face, "You mean to tell me that guy stayed in L.A. all this time. Girl, you got everything now. What more can you ask for?" Inside his heart was breaking. He had always hoped Sky would be his, but she was in love with someone else.  
  
"I have so much to lose."  
  
"I know. We'll find a way out of this even if it means we have to kill that motherfucker."  
  
Sky looked at her watch and realized she had been gone from the shop for an hour. The guys were going to have her ass. Quickly, she gave Razor a ride back to his place and swung by the store to get lunch. When she pulled into the driveway of the shop everyone was sitting by a car waiting for her. For the next fifteen minutes she took a ribbing about being gone too long and then settled down beside Leon never mentioning the trouble she was in.  
  
~Later that night~  
  
Sky looked over at the alarm clock. The bright red numbers read 3:24 am. The minutes ticked away but her mind couldn't settle down to allow her to fall asleep. A buzzing sound rang through the room. With a start she jumped from the bed and ripped the two-way from her pants pocket. Glancing towards the bed, she saw that Leon was still fast asleep with the soft velour blanket wrapped around his body. The message instructed her to leave the house and meet a man at the corner. Tiptoeing out the bedroom, she took one last look back fearing it may be the last time she would lay her eyes on him.  
  
A black Honda motorcycle was waiting at the corner. The rider flashed the headlights and Sky hurried up the street. The rider handed her a helmet and she slid onto the back of the bike. They took off quickly. Speeding through the streets, the lights became streaks of color. They arrived at the meeting spot and the rider motioned for Sky to get off the bike. She handed him the helmet and walked over to the black BMW parked nearby. Razor got out of the driver's seat and opened the passenger side door for Sky. He got back in the car and they drove off without uttering a word to each other. Adrenaline pumped through their veins just as it had many times before jobs like the one they were getting ready to pull off. A simple job lay ahead of them. Simple breaking and entering they had done it hundreds of times before.  
  
Razor disabled the security alarm allowing Sky to snake her tiny body through bars of the gate. She sprinted across the yard and up to the main house. A balcony door to a second floor bedroom was open and she picked this as her point of entry. Climbing the trestle proved to be the harder than she expected. It took her 40 seconds to get to the second floor. The bedroom was extravagantly decorated with gold bedposts and fine silk linens. Two people were sleeping in the bed. Her heart was pounding. She could have been caught at any moment. A portrait of the man of the house covered the safe. Slowly Sky removed it and used an electronic device to obtain the combination for the wall safe. The man in the bed turned in his sleep causing Sky to nearly drop the device. Never had she ever wanted to smother someone with a pillow more than then. She unlocked the safe and emptied the contents into a backpack and replaced the picture. Seconds later she was back in the BMW speeding away from the house.  
  
Simon was waiting as they pulled into the meeting place. Sky handed over the bag. The black motorcycle rider was waiting for her.  
  
They pulled up to the corner and Sky got off the bike and the rider took off. She sneaked back into the house. Thankfully Leon had not moved since she left. She removed her clothing and slid back into bed with him falling fast asleep. 


	27. Family Tension

Note: I would like to thank people for the reviews. They are very helpful indeed. After many problems with trying to write in present tense I have decided to start writing this story and my other story "Bella's Homecoming" in past tense, which just seems to flow better. I'll be changing all the prior chapters in the next week or so. As always if you like the story or not let me know. Opinions are always appreciated. Now here is the next chapter.  
  
Chapter 27  
  
The rays of the sun slipped through the curtains falling on Sky's face. Leon rested his weight on one elbow and gazed at her sleeping soundly. Gone was the tough girl look on her face, the ready to take on the world hardness replaced by a soft innocence. He traced around her lips lightly with his index finger. Her eyes began to flutter and she let out a small yawn. "Sorry baby. I didn't mean to wake you."  
  
Her body tensed as she stretched and arched her back. She stared up at him with glossy half asleep eyes. She was at her most vulnerable point when straddling between dream state and consciousness. Leon pulled her into his body and rested her head on his chest. Sleep took hold of her once more, but the rest was short. The alarm started ringing and the day was set to begin. Leon heard Vince stomping through the hall determined to get to the bathroom before Sky took over. It had become a daily race between the two of them. Leon noticed for some reason Sky was not in a hurry that day. He relished the chance to enjoy a few more moments of alone time with her.  
  
The sun was shining bright by the time the team reached DT. Almost immediately Jess ran off to the computer to work on a new program he was developing from scratch. The rest of the team each went off to work on the line of cars waiting in the driveway.  
  
That day had been a particularly hot day even by L.A. standards. The heat of the shop was beginning to get to everyone. Beads of sweat rolled down Sky's back. Her wife-beater was completely soaked. She removed it revealing the sports bra underneath. Vince grumbled from the driver's seat of the Civic he was working on, "Girl put your damn clothes back on. Hey while we're on the subject, why don't you wear pants that actually cover something? Leave a little to the imagination."  
  
"Aw hell no. I know you did not just say that. Who the hell do you think you are V?" Sky screamed at him, placing her hands on her bare hips.  
  
Vince jumped out of the car and marched right up to her, "Look you're my baby cousin and I think you should dress a little less skanky."  
  
Leon seen the change take over Sky. Her usually gray eyes became dark. "Lay off dawg."  
  
Vince turned to stare him down, "Stay out of this. It's a family matter."  
  
"The fuck it is V. I'll wear what I want. Don't try to be all big and bad with me. It gets you nowhere. Got it?" Sky pushed him forcefully. "You know what kills me. You check out every half-dressed racer chaser, but can't handle when I show a little skin. What's so bad about what I'm wearing? V, I could show a lot more if I wanted to."  
  
"The difference between you and those whores is that you're my Princess, my baby. I don't wanna see you dress like that anymore. End of discussion." Vince walked away thinking he had won the argument, but he was very wrong.  
  
"Diane Connelly. Ring a bell Vince?" Sky yelled over all the noise of the shop. Everyone stopped what they were doing and stared at her. Dom nearly fell off the chair he was sitting in. "Come on V. I know you remember her."  
  
"That mouse that lived next to you Vince?" Dom piped up. "Didn't we used to throw shit at her whenever we saw her."  
  
Sky let out an evil giggle. "Well Vince here only did that shit when you were around." Vince's face became very pale. He knew what she was going to do, but didn't know how to stop her. "She was your first right V? You hit that. Very impressive." Dom hit the floor laughing. Vince stormed out of the garage out to his car and peeled out of the driveway. "So touchy isn't he? I think that's one for me, none for V." She walked back to the Civic she was working on like nothing was wrong.  
  
Leon grabbed her by the hips and turned her around, "That's cruel girl."  
  
"Leon don't. Don't side with him on this one. I'm so tired of him picking stupid fights with me. What is his fuckin' problem?" Sky tried to move away, but he caught her by the arm.  
  
"He still sees you as the 16 year old girl that ran away."  
  
"Leon's right. You're Vince's baby cousin and it's as if time stood still since you left. Cut him some slack." Dom messed up her hair like he always did when they were younger. "Now get your ass back to work."  
  
"Yes sir." Sky said with a salute.  
  
The team worked until late in the day. Vince was sitting on the couch when they arrived home. As soon as he heard the cars pull into the driveway he grabbed his keys and headed to his car. Sky jumped out of the Skyline and ran for the passenger side door of Vince's car. He sped off before she reached him. "Let him go. He'll be back after he cools off." Dom yelled over to her. She ignored Dom and jumped into her car speeding after Vince. "Neither of them listens."  
  
"You're right dawg. No use wasting your breathe on 'em." Leon wanted to chase after her, but knew it would only make things worse. This was something the two of them needed to work out.  
  
The blue cars raced through the streets with Vince about three car lengths ahead of Sky. She weaved in and out of traffic causing a few accidents in her wake. Sky was making up the distance and closing in fast. Her foot slammed the accelerator and the car shot up in front. Swerving in front she hit the emergency brake and spun the car around to face him. The Nissan came to an abrupt halt an inch from the front bumper of the Mitsubishi. "You coulda killed us both. You're fuckin crazy." Vince jumped the hood and ripped Sky out of her car. "What's so important you had to say?"  
  
Her body trembled in the face of his anger, "I.....I'm sorry." Tears streaked down her face.  
  
Vince pulled her into his arms and held her tight. "Don't cry. Damn it. Can't handle this shit. Stop. Enough." The sound of sirens filled the air. "No time to talk. Get back to the house. I'll be right behind you."  
  
Sky jumped into her car and spun the car around. Vince was fast on her back bumper as they sped away with the cops hot on their trail. 


	28. The Devil Inside

Chapter 28  
  
Sky raced her car up the driveway followed closely by Vince. He jumped out of his car and grabbed a couple car covers out of the garage. "Cover your damn car now. Do it fast cause the cops'll be coming by any second."  
  
Dom came out of the house to see what the commotion was all about. Sky was panicking having trouble getting the cover on. He took it out of her hands and put it on for her. "Someone want to tell me what the hell is going on." Just as he finished his sentence three cops passed by the house with lights on and sirens blaring.  
  
Sky glared at Vince then walked to the front of the house. He caught her as rounded the front and tackled her causing her to slam to the ground with all his weight on her. Somehow she wiggled her legs free and kicked him repeatedly until he moved off of her. With all the strength she could muster, she plowed into him shoulder first. He was only slightly knocked off balance, but that was enough for Sky to get her footing to pounce again. This time she pushed him over and they rolled down the hill entangled in each other's limbs. Vince fell off the wall with Sky landing on him with a thud. She pulled up onto her knees and began punching him.  
  
"You're an asshole. Ever since I got here you've been treating me like shit. What the hell is your problem? You don't want me here or something? Cause I'm tired of this really." Sky screamed loud enough to bring everyone out of the house.  
  
Leon ran to help Sky, but Dom stopped him. This was a fight that the Sky and Vince needed to get through.  
  
"Yeah I got a problem with you." Vince said as he flipped her onto her back. He knocked the wind out of her. She gasped for air. "Don't try that act with me. It won't work. You can't just show up one day and think that I just forgave you for taking off." Sky's face had turned red and she fought for each breath. When she didn't catch her breath quickly Vince began to worry. He sat her up pounding her back.  
  
"V. Stop beating me please. I'm not choking. Just need a little air."  
  
"Sorry. Thought that's what you do when someone can't breath."  
  
"If I was choking yes, but not when I've just been squashed by someone twice my size. Just sit me up next time and let me get some air. Beside you're supposed to pat not beat the person."  
  
"Oh." He felt stupid. "Wait a minute I'm not twice your size."  
  
"Yeah you are piggy." She joked.  
  
"You saying I'm fat. I know you did not just say that I'm fat." He said with his way too perfect impersonation of a female. "Oh you fat alright and your hips are huge."  
  
"You've hurt my feelings. You're just jealous. Don't hate me cause I'm beautiful." He pretended to be offended. The team watched the two of them go back and forth. They all laughed so hard that tears were rolling down their faces.  
  
"Get over yourself. So V are we ok now?"  
  
"Yeah Princess. We ok. Just promise not to take off again. I can't handle losing you again."  
  
"Promise." She leaned into him and gave him a huge hug.  
  
~Two Months Later~  
  
Sky got call for another job. She crept out of the room thinking Leon was sound asleep. Leon had become suspicious about Sky getting up in the middle of the night and decided to follow her. He watched as she went out the backdoor and saw her get on a motorcycle with someone. She had lied to him that was all he needed to know. He went back to bed and let the anger build inside.  
  
The alarm rang loud. It was time for work and Sky was only able to get an hour of sleep. Se wanted more than anything to stay in bed and cuddle with Leon. She kept her eyes closed and hoped he would take the hint to stay in bed. "Get up. Time to go to work." Leon said and slammed the door shut behind him.  
  
"Great. What the hell is his problem?" She crawled out of bed and slipped on her work clothes.  
  
Leon did not utter one word to her the entire day. She was puzzled by his attitude and tried to call him on it a couple of times. He blew her off every time. By the fifth try, she gave up. She chalked it up to male PMS. At the end of the day, Leon left without waiting for her. She rode home with Letty ranting and raving about his attitude.  
  
Sky stomped down the stairs to the basement to start getting ready for the races that night. The door to her and Leon's bedroom was locked. She banged on the door until he finally answered. "You gonna let me in so I can get dressed?"  
  
"Whatever."  
  
"Leon what is going on with you?" She touched his face, but he pulled away.  
  
"Are you going to get your stuff or what?"  
  
"Yeah sure. Sorry to bother you." Quietly she went about the room picking out clothes and shoes for the night. "I'm gonna take a shower. Do you need anything before I get in?"  
  
"Nah. Just get outta here."  
  
"Ok." Sky couldn't think of what she had done to deserve such a reaction from him. She traced back everything from the previous night and nothing popped out at her. After her shower she tried to get back in the room to get dressed, but the door was locked again. She walked upstairs to Mia's room in just a towel. She explained to Mia the problem with Leon and asked if she could get ready upstairs. Mia agreed and even volunteered to do Sky's hair for the night out.  
  
After a typical race night, the team headed back to the house to party. The only thing Sky wanted to do was get drunk. She had enough of Leon's shit and needed to relax. She passed over her usual bottle of Corona and headed straight for an unopened bottle of vodka.  
  
Halfway through the bottle she was on the dance floor having a ball. She hadn't really cut loose since NYC. Alcohol had a calming effect on her, but it also had another effect on her. She went to find Leon and make up with him in bed. Her sight was doubled which made conquering the basement steps a challenge. Staggering and almost falling she finally hit the landing. The door to the bedroom was unlocked. She breathed a sigh of relief. She figured that Leon was waiting for her. When she opened the door her heart sank and her blood boiled. There was Leon fucking one of the blond skanks from the races. He didn't even stop having sex with the girl when he saw Sky in the doorway. Sky walked over to him and slapped him across the face. The girl got up and went to slap Sky, which was a huge mistake on her part. Adrenaline took over and Sky's sight became clear. She grabbed the girl by her hair and dragged her into the hallway. With no thought of the damage she could cause, Sky beat the girl over and over. Her fists pounded the girl's face. Blood poured from the girl's mouth and nose. Leon tried to pull Sky off, but he couldn't budge her. He ran upstairs to get help. Dom and Vince flew down the stairs. It took both of them to contain Sky. She screamed and kicked wildly. Her arms were covered in blood. Dom lost his grip and Sky ran up the steps.  
  
One of the girl's friends got in Sky's face, "Your momma should have taught you some manners bitch." The friend threw a punch at Sky, but missed. Sky caught her by the throat and slammed her into the wall. Sky knocked her unconscious. Leon ran into the room screaming at Sky, but she couldn't hear him. Her mind was gone. He grabbed her by the arm. She turned back and caught him with a right hook to the jaw. He let go of her. She ran out of the house and jumped into her car. 


	29. Cause and Effect

_Thanks starshine2212 for the review....Sky will undoubtedly be getting her revenge on dear Leon in the next few chapters.  
  
Ok everybody else I need to know what you think of this story. Even if you hate it let me know. Thanks   
_  
Chapter 29  
  
Sky sped through the streets at speeds in excess of 100 mph. Tears flowed down from her cheeks soaking the top of her shirt. She had no regard for traffic signals or other drivers. Part of her wished she would wreck her car and end her pain. The image of Leon and the girl flashed in her mind. She weaved the car into oncoming traffic speeding head on towards a semi. Her hand gripped tightly on the shifter ready to shift into sixth. A split second before impacting with the semi she swerved the car out of the way. The tail of the car swung wildly out of control. Sky tried to steer back into control, but it was too late. The car sideswiped four cars and came to rest up on the sidewalk. Her body slammed hard in to the door. She threw the car in reverse and quickly drove away from the scene.  
  
The lights were on at Razor's house when she pulled into the driveway. She stumbled to his door and rang the doorbell. He answered the door wearing only boxers. Sky wrapped her arms around his neck and pushed her lips to his not letting him say a word. She pushed him inside and moved to his bedroom. "Sky wait. What happened to your hands? You're bleeding baby. Stop let me take a look at you." He protested.  
  
"No Raz. Don't worry about it." She took off her tank top and ripped it in two. She wrapped her hands tightly to stop the blood flow. Razor undid her bra and dropped it to the floor. He pulled her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist. His hands roamed up of her skirt. Hungrily she bit at his neck and collarbone. "I'm all yours tonight baby." She purred in his ear.  
  
"Damn I waited six years to hear those words." He laid her down on the bed and removed her skirt and thong. He placed passionate kisses on her tummy. Her perfume intoxicated him. He pulled back and stared down at her. "I can't do this. Not with you in this condition."  
  
"Raz please. I need you." She pleaded tearfully.  
  
He grabbed a shirt from his drawer and dressed her. With care, he carried her into his bathroom and put her hands under warm water. Black streaks of makeup ran from her eyes. "I'm so sorry" were the last words she uttered before she passed out against his chest.  
  
Sky woke to the bright sunlight and a splitting headache. She had no idea where she was or how she had gotten there. A heavy arm was draped across her waist. At once she knew it wasn't Leon. Panic set in. Quickly she turned and breathed a sigh of relief to see Raz lying beside her. Her movement stirred him from his sleep. "Oh God, did we do anything last night?"  
  
Raz smiled wide, "You were magnificent."  
  
"No. This can't be happening." She began to cry.  
  
"Just kidding Little One. You showed up on my doorstep last night about 4 a.m. with blood all over your hands and tried to seduce me, but nothing happened."  
  
"How did I get here and where are my clothes?"  
  
"Your shirt is in pieces. Your doing I might add. The rest of the clothes are on the dresser. As to how you got here your car is in the driveway, so I guess you drove yourself. Do you remember anything from last night?"  
  
"I remember drinking vodka and dancing. That's it."  
  
"You know better than to drink liquor. Never could handle anything stronger than beer. Do you remember what happened last time you drank vodka?"  
  
"The impromptu striptease in the middle of the hottest club in NYC. Who could forget?"  
  
"Well there was a repeat performance in this bedroom last night."  
  
"Thanks for not taking advantage of me. I need to get home before my cousin kills me. Do you know where my keys are?"  
  
"In your skirt." He pointed to the pile of clothes on the dresser.  
  
Sky pulled herself out of bed and got dressed. She gave Raz a kiss goodbye and walked outside to the bright California sunlight. She found her car parked almost sideways in the driveway and heavily damaged on the passenger side. The windshield was severely cracked and the right side window was shattered. Sky flipped open her cell phone and dialed the tow service. "Is Danny there please?" Sky asked for the guy that handled all of the DT towing.  
  
"This is Danny."  
  
"Hey D. What's up? This is Sky, you know Vince's cousin?"  
  
"Yeah girl I know who you are. What ya need?"  
  
"I wrecked my car. Need to get it towed to the shop A.S.A.P. I'm at a friend's house." Sky read off the address.  
  
"Be there in five."  
  
Danny arrived in five minutes just like he said he would. He cringed when he saw the damage to the car. He backed the wrecker in the driveway and loaded the broken auto onto the bed. Sky went around the driveway and collected parts of her car that had fallen off in the process of loading it. She knew that the team would have her ass for the little tantrum she pulled, but it was Jesse's reaction that she feared the most. He had built the car for her and she had destroyed it in a drunken rage. The ride to the shop was silent; she was too busy contemplating how to move out of the house without anyone noticing.  
  
"Sky? Are you in there?" Danny tapped her on the shoulder bringing her out of oblivion.  
  
"What? Sorry. Just sort of zoned out."  
  
"You must have had one hell of a night."  
  
"You can say that. The problem is I can't remember most of it. Hopefully, someone will fill me in when I get home."  
  
"Everybody has a night like that every now and then. Just don't make it a habit. Next time you might not be so lucky."  
  
"Oh I'm never drinking like that again." She said the words, but knew they were a lie. Sky always turned to the bottle when her life spiraled out of control and this was just the beginning of the fall she feared.  
  
They unloaded the car and pushed it inside the garage. Stepping back from the car, she couldn't believe that she walked away with only a couple of bruises. Luck had been on her side.  
  
Danny gave her a ride back to the house even though she protested. He told her that Dom would have his ass if he didn't make sure she was home safe and sound. Sky walked in to find the house empty and a mess from the night's party. Seizing the opportunity of being alone she headed to her and Leon's room to pack. As she hit the bottom step to the basement she saw the blood on the walls near the door of the room. She looked down at her bruised and scraped knuckles. There had been a fight and she was involved. Concentrating hard she tried to recall what had happened. Slowly it came back to her. She remembered walking in on Leon and the race whore that had made her way through half the team. Sky reached up for the necklace around her neck and snapped the chain. Screaming, she hurled it at the wall behind the bed. She packed her things and left the room slamming the door behind her.  
  
"Where are you going chica?" Letty surprised her at the top of the stairs.  
  
"To a friend's place."  
  
"No you're not. You're staying here with me girl." Letty put her arm around Sky's shoulder.  
  
"Nah. I don't want to ever see his face again. That bastard can go to hell as far as I'm concerned."  
  
"That's fine and all, but I'm not letting you leave. Got it. You move upstairs to the spare bedroom next to Jess's. Don't even think about saying no. You can beat those skanks down easy, but I'm a hellva lot better fighter. Understand."  
  
Sky broke down and balled, "Why Letty? Why did he do this to me? I love him so much. Every happy memory I have involves him. Why?"  
  
"Cause he has a dick." Letty didn't need to say more. 


	30. Revenge is Sweeter than Chocolate

_Thank you so much for the reviews:  
  
Starshine2212 – Yeah guys are really controlled by that thing aren't they? It was nice to get to write a little of Letty's attitude into the story.  
  
Maliek and Greenglowchassis – Glad you like the story and hope you like the way it develops from here.  
  
Here we go.....  
  
_Chapter 30  
  
Letty led Sky up the stairs to the guestroom. She helped her unpack her bags and settle in. "I'm not sure what to do now." Sky said throwing her body onto the bed.  
  
Letty huffed, "What ya mean, what to do? Girl, pick yourself up and move on."  
  
"It's not that easy. I don't want anything to do with men period. They're all bastards as far as I'm concerned."  
  
"They all may be bastards, that don't mean you can't use them for you own purposes." Letty smiled and then winked at Sky. "You want to get even, you gotta give him a taste of his own medicine. Flaunt what ya got and snag you some fine man to take of you."  
  
Sky sat up and swung her legs over the side of the bed, "So why didn't you do that to Dom when he cheated?"  
  
"Who said I didn't? Dom is the only guy I've slept with, but he sure ain't the only guy I've fooled around with. Ya got me?"  
  
"Oh yeah I got ya. So how ya wanna do this?" A smile appeared on Sky's face and she got a devilish look in her eyes.  
  
"Get on the tightest, sexiest, most skimpy outfit you have and I'll handle the rest. Be ready by 10. Tonight we gonna have some fun."  
  
Ten o'clock rolled around and Sky sashayed her way down the stairs. Even Letty was shocked at the way she looked. The outfit was tight and sexy; a black leather bikini top that criss-crossed below her neck creating mass cleavage then tying around her neck and a matching black leather mid length skirt cut clear up her thigh held together by a small strip of material below her hip. To complete the look she wore a crystal belly chain and crystal-encrusted stilettos with a strap around her ankles. Her hair was pulled up in a ponytail with a few tendrils falling softly on her face. Jess whistled loudly as she reached the bottom step. Leon glanced up briefly and then returned his gaze to the Playstation.  
  
"Damn girl. Nice." Letty looked down at her outfit and felt a little over- dressed in a blue miniskirt and matching tank.  
  
"Thanks Let. I just don't know if I can pull this off."  
  
"All you need is a little liquid courage." Letty nodded towards the dining room. Sky could see a bottle of tequila and shot glasses laid out for them. "Thought we should lay off the vodka after last night."  
  
"Good idea. Let's do this." The women approached the table and filled their glasses. They raised their glasses, "To getting wild and letting shit go."  
  
"Amen, sister." Let hollered and clanked her glass to Sky's. They downed their shots and poured another. "One more for the road." The shot went down their throats like fire awakening some inner demon all women that have been hurt have.  
  
Jess poked his head in the doorway, "Cab's here."  
  
The women let out an evil giggle and headed out the door for their night on the town.  
  
The club was packed when they arrived. No use heading for the bar since it was too crowded, they hit the dance floor. 'Letty was right' Sky thought to herself. It was helping to move on and she spotted her key to revenge across the floor. Troy, the guy with the 300zx she had met at the first race was hanging out near the edge of the dance floor. "Ya know it'd be easier to dance if ya'd get on the floor."  
  
His face lit up, "I don't know if I should dance with you. Don't wanna get my ass kicked by your man."  
  
"Don't got a man no more, so get your ass down here and show me what ya got."  
  
Troy moved down to the floor and into her arms. Sky glanced back at Letty and saw that she was dancing with one of Hector's crew. The music pumped loud and fast allowing Sky to escape into the rhythm. She had to admit that Troy's body felt good against hers. He seemed to know instinctively how to touch her skin to bring about waves of sensation. She turned around and rolled her ass across him and dropped down fast then slowly rolled back up his body. He licked the salty sweat off her neck and nibbled on her ear. He turned her to face him and pressed his lips on hers. She was swooning from the effects of the alcohol and the sweet taste of his lips. Never had she felt like this with anyone but Leon. Her tongue delved deep in his mouth, her hand running through his hair. It wasn't about revenge in that moment. It was about the heat between the two of them and nothing more.  
  
Hours went by with them in each other's arms kissing without notice of the room around them. Suddenly, Sky was ripped away from Troy and pushed to the side. "Who the fuck do you think you are?" An angry growl that could only belong to Dominic Toretto was sent towards Troy.  
  
"Sorry man. Look we were just having some fun." Troy managed to stutter out before Sky jumped in between them.  
  
"What's the problem Dom?" Sky said in a calm voice.  
  
Dom's angry scowl was replaced by a smile, "Just looking out for one of my girls."  
  
"I'm fine Dom. Just having fun. I needed it ok." She titled her head to the side, blinked her eyes and pouted slightly melting him in a way only Sky and Mia could pull off.  
  
"Well you should have been home hours ago and I got worried. Be glad I didn't send V in. He pounds skulls first, then asks questions."  
  
"Thanks for worrying. You and V have always protected me and I appreciate it. Really I do, but I'm a big girl too."  
  
"Ready to go home baby girl?" Dom said touching her lightly on the nose.  
  
"Yep. Just let me tell Troy goodnight." She walked over to Troy and kissed him deeply. "See ya again soon hottie."  
  
"Ya bet. Night gorgeous." Troy said and practically skipped back to the bar.  
  
Sky walked back to Dom and eyed Leon sitting at a table in the back of the club. By the look on his face, she knew he saw everything that night. She felt giddy with pleasure. Time he knew how it felt. 


	31. Is This How It's Gonna Be?

_Wow five reviews for the last chapter is really great. Sorry it took so long to update, I have been having the worse case of writer's block. Think I'm over it now. Depends on what you all think of this latest chapter. Let me know if you think it's good or bad.  
_  
Chapter 31  
  
It was Sunday afternoon and Sky was happy to have the chance to finally sleep in. The last two days had been a whirlwind ride and had drained her of every bit of energy she held in her tiny body. So much had changed for her. Her feelings for Leon were fading replaced by a furious lust for Troy, her new golden boy. She would have to thank him later for the amazing time on the dance floor. He got her high in a way she couldn't explain. He let loose a wild spirit that didn't care what people thought as long as his body was against hers.  
  
A loud crash from the hallway stirred her from her thoughts of dirty deeds with the golden boy. She sat up with a jolt and immediately regretted her quick movement. "Owww." She yelled gripping her forehead. "No more tequila." The promise spat out through her clinched teeth. Throwing the covers to the side, she inched her way out of bed. A great deal of commotion was coming from the hallway and she was going to put an end to it fast.  
  
"What the hell is up with all the noise?" Sky yelled as she jerked the door open. She glared down at the pair of bodies entangled in a struggle. At once she recognized the head of mussed hair of the body on top. "Vince, I'm gonna kick your ass if you don't keep it down so I can sleep."  
  
"You'll have to wait until I kick pretty boy's ass right here." Vince snarled.  
  
Sky looked down and saw Leon wrestling with the weight of Vince on top of him. She felt somewhat sorry for him and decided to lend a helping hand. She took the lobes of Vince's ears in both hands and yanked back hard pulling his body off of Leon.  
  
Leon wiggled away from Vince and dusted himself off, "Thanks."  
  
"I didn't do it for you asshole. I want some peace and quiet." With that Sky walked around him and into the bathroom. She closed the door with a slam. Once inside she leaned against the door and tried to keep the tears at bay. Just the sight of Leon made her ache inside.  
  
Everyone gathered around the picnic table. Sky was forced to sit near Leon. Her icy gaze shot through him. With each breath she took her anger towards him grew. Letty sensed the tension and tried to draw Sky's attention. "Hey girl. How ya feeling?"  
  
"Better. My head has finally stopped pounding." Sky said with a sigh.  
  
Leon laughed loudly, "Can't handle you alcohol?"  
  
"I can handle it just fine thank you very much." Sky shot back at him.  
  
"Ha ha. Not from what I seen last night."  
  
"What's that supposed to mean?"  
  
"Instant slut, just add alcohol." He quipped.  
  
"Oh hold up. You're calling me a slut. You got a lot of nerve after what you did at the party Friday night. Seems like the only slut sitting at this table is you."  
  
"Enough." Dom growled from the head of the table. "Everyone needs to shut the hell up."  
  
Sky grabbed a beer from the center of the table and tilted it back drinking fast. A smug laugh escaped Leon's lips, "Starting early? Who's bed you gonna end up in tonight?"  
  
"It won't be yours so don't worry about it." Sky spilled out before downing the rest of the beer. She took a deep breath. It was taking everything she had not to get up and punch him.  
  
"My bed won't be cold without you in it."  
  
"Yeah that's right cause you can't keep you dick in your pants. I'm sure you'll have some other disease ridden ho in there after the next race."  
  
"What ya jealous?" He sat back in his chair and crossed his arms.  
  
"Nothing to be jealous of. As if you didn't notice you're just as easily replaced."  
  
Leon's smile faded, "Is that so?"  
  
"What does it piss you off to know that you're not the only guy I've been with?"  
  
"Damn girl you were used when I got you so it don't mean a thing who you sleep with."  
  
A cold shiver ran down her spine as his words cut through her. Her mind flashed back to the night her father found her alone in the kitchen.

_She was barely thirteen at the time and had begun to develop. Her father stared at her with a strange look in his eyes. He had been on one of his usual drunken binges. His body flew at hers trapping her against the sink. His hands tore at her clothes. Sky fought him as hard as she could. Tears flowing, her screams echoed through the house. The more she fought the harder his fists pounded into her face and body. She was forced to the floor pleading for him to stop. He put his mouth to hers. She saw once last chance to get away. Sinking her teeth into his lip, she held on until the blood flowed. He backed away from he slightly. Angrily, her knee connected with his groin and she was able to run out of the house. Her paced did not slow until she was across the street and into Leon's mom's arms.  
_  
The touch of Jesse's hand on her arm brought her back to the present, "Sky are you ok?"  
  
She realized her whole body was shaking and her face was wet with fresh tears. "No." Sky ran from the table and locked her self in her room. She curled into the fetal position and drowned in her own tears.  
  
They all watched her run from the table. When she was out of sight Vince turned his anger towards Leon, "We've been friends for a lot of years and you're like a brother to me. I've overlooked a lot of shit that you've pulled since she came back. Out of respect for her I've not pounded your face in, but hear me now. If you ever make her cry again I'll gut you. I swear I will gut you."  
  
The team stared in disbelief as Vince grabbed his steak knife and stuck it between Leon's thumb and index finger. His eyes full of rage he bent down and whispered something in Leon's ear and then walked away.  
  
The sound of her cell phone stirred her from an uneasy sleep. "Hello?" She said in a soft voice.  
  
"Well angel don't you sound sexy?" The deep voice purred in her ear.  
  
"Not now I'm not in the mood for jokes. Besides that's gross Raz."  
  
"You didn't think my lines were too gross Friday night. If I remember correctly, you tried to have your way with me." His laugh was loud.  
  
"I was under the influence of vodka. It don't count." She countered back.  
  
"It wasn't just the alcohol sweetheart. You want me and you know it."  
  
"Did you just call to aggravate me cause I'm really having a shitty day?"  
  
"Not really. We got a job tonight. I just got the call."  
  
"Damn. Like I don't have enough shit going on. This is serious bad timing man. I'm just not in the mood to pull off some big ass job for Simon."  
  
"Girl I know what you mean, but I don't think we have a choice. If we don't show up he'll find us and you know how that will end."  
  
"Yeah I know. What time ya picking me up?" Sky said with clear annoyance in her voice.  
  
"About 10 minutes from now. I'll pick you up at the corner."  
  
"See ya then. Bye bye." Sky hung up the phone and moved her body off the floor. She changed her clothes and headed out her bedroom door. She got close to the steps and saw that the whole team was still awake watching a movie. "Shit." She headed back to her room and climbed down from her window.


	32. Just Another Routine Job?

_Thanks for the reviews and I plan to update this story more often now that the writer's block is gone. So enjoy and provide feedback.  
_  
Chapter 32  
  
Sky crept quietly behind the house and down the driveway. Her heart beat so loudly fearing one of the team might catch her. She didn't relax until the corner came in view. Razor was standing next to his bike patiently waiting for her. His smile widened as she approached and wrapped her arms around his neck. Sweetly, he kissed her on the cheek and wrapped his arms tightly around her. They held the embrace for a few moments, and then silently pulled away. They slipped onto the bike and sped away into the night. Sky had an uneasy feeling in her stomach that she couldn't shake. Her grip on Raz tightened as she closed her eyes wishing to wake up from the endless nightmare that was her life.  
  
A black Mercedes sat idle in the dark alley. Simon sat in the driver's seat tapping his fingers on the wheel watching for Sky and Raz to arrive. He enjoyed the game of using her for his purposes. So easy it was for him to manipulate her feelings and control her every movement. He watched as the motorcycle pulled into the alley. A great laugh escaped his lips. One of his henchmen opened the door and Simon stepped out to greet them. "You're late. Don't let it happen again."  
  
"Whatever." Sky popped off.  
  
"Still the attitude. Are you bulletproof my dear?" Simon waved his hand and at once a man had a gun to Sky's temple. "All I have to do is say the word and you can join your mother."  
  
The hairs on the back of her neck stood up and a shiver ran down her spine. "What do you want from me?" Defeated she dropped her gaze to the ground.  
  
"Something a little different tonight. You'll be picking up a shipment and delivering it to a warehouse. Just one small catch, the shipment doesn't belong to me. It's your job to take possession by any means. The target is a yellow moving van with the words 'Eddie & Son' on the side. The truck is carrying a tracking device and you can use this GPS unit to locate it. You have one hour to deliver the truck and its goods to me or you won't be seeing the sun come up."  
  
Sky glanced over to Raz with tears welling up in her eyes. She feared that even if they did the job tonight might be their last. Sky wished more than anything that she had told Vince that she loved him before she left. Raz gripped her hand and led her to the bike. He had the same sick feeling in his stomach, but he needed to be strong for her.  
  
As they rode to the target Raz furiously thought of how he could get Sky out of the job. With a jolt an idea came to him. He slammed the brakes on the bike and brought it to a screeching halt. "Get off the bike."  
  
Sky pulled up the visor on her helmet, "What? What the hell is wrong?"  
  
Raz grabbed her hands and pushed her away, "You ain't going sweetheart. This is a solo mission."  
  
"No. I can't let you do this. It's too dangerous."  
  
He laughed at loud, "Who said you had a choice?" Raz pulled her arms away from him and pushed her off the bike. She landed hard on the ground and was a bit shaken up. He took the opportunity to make his getaway leaving her alone and confused.  
  
Raz raced to the location of the truck to find what he suspected. It was a cover for a drug shipment and was heavily guarded. Simon had sent them to die. There was no way the two of them would have been able to take the truck. They would have been gunned down in an instant. He turned the bike around and headed back to Sky.  
  
Sitting on the sidewalk, Sky kicked at the trash crowding the curb. Her silent prayers were sent towards Heaven pleading for Raz's safety. Her gaze was fixed on the dim stars that shown through the thick Los Angeles smog. A bright light coming down the road caught her attention. A lone headlight headed straight for her. She jumped up from the sidewalk and thanked God over and over for bringing him back to her.  
  
"Ready to go?" He said then kissed her cheek.  
  
"Of course let's go."  
  
They made it about 10 blocks before Raz spotted the black Mercedes in his mirror. The car was coming up on them fast. He swerved to the side to avoid being hit from behind and picked up speed. Raz figured he could lose them in traffic. In and out the bike swerve through traffic, but was unable to shake the car. Simon leaned out the passenger window and fired at them. Raz swerved hard to the left and the Mercedes tried to follow suit. The car missed the opening and slammed into the back of another car erupting in flames. Sky looked back at the mangled mess and breathed a sigh of relief. Simon's reign over her was over. Raz pulled the bike to the side of the road and turned the engine off. They got off the bike and immediately Sky knew something was wrong. Raz took a few steps then collapsed on the ground. "Razor. Oh God." She unzipped his jacket and found a massive bullet wound to his stomach. "We have to get you to the hospital. Can you make it over to the bike?"  
  
"I think so." His voice was low.  
  
"Come on. Don't give up on me." She helped him to his feet and onto the bike. "Hold on as tight as you can ok. I'm going to get there as fast as I can."  
  
Sky helped Raz into the ER entrance and begged for help. A team of doctors and nurses raced over to take him from her. A nurse asked her what happened, but Sky couldn't speak. She sat down in the chair the nurse motioned her to and stared down at the blood on her hands. What seemed like an eternity went by before the nurse came back to Sky. The look on her face told Sky that it was bad news. "The young man that you brought in tonight is in critical condition. It will be a while before we know if he will recover."  
  
"May I see him?"  
  
"I'm sorry, but he is sedated. I have brought his personal affects for you to take home with you. Is there a number where we can reach you if his condition changes?"  
  
"Umm yeah. It's 555-9872. Call me if there's even the slightest change."  
  
"I will do that."  
  
"Thank you so much." Sky took the bag from the nurse and walked out the automatic doors into the cool night air. She hailed a taxi and instructed the driver to take her home.  
  
The house was quiet when she arrived home giving her a chance to clean up the blood on her hand and clothes without the interrogation from the team. After a quick shower, Sky went down to Vince's room. He was sound asleep. Sky sneaked his keys out of the pocket of his jeans that were crumbled on the floor. On a small slip of paper she scribbled a note.  
  
_Hey Cuz,  
  
Sorry but I needed to confiscate your wheels again.  
  
Love ya, Princess  
_  
Quickly, she crept out of the house and drove off in the Maxima. 


	33. Fresh Start

_Sorry for the short chapter. As always let me know what you think.  
  
_Chapter 33  
  
This had been the weekend from hell. Sky prayed for the sun to rise and bring a better day. She drove around mindlessly for hours and somehow ended up at DT garage. With a click, the glare of the fluorescent lights showered down on her. Her eyes stung from the salty tears she had been unaware of falling from her eyes. "How much pain must I feel?" She screamed towards heaven. "Why not me? Why don't you take me?" No answer came to her only more tears.  
  
She sat down on the bench seat and stared at her broken car. It was worse than she could have ever imagined. Just mangled wreckage that had seen better days. It was how she felt inside. She walked up to the car and ran her hand across the jagged metal. The body panels were beyond repair. In her head, she made a list of the parts needed to put the car back on the road. This time though she wanted it to be faster, one of the fastest. Putting the car back together felt like putting the pieces of her back together. How was the question? She knew the basics of putting a car together, but speeding it up was another matter. An expert was needed and that expert was the mad scientist himself.  
  
Her cell phone echoed loudly through the shop. "Hello?"  
  
"Miss Thomas, this is Nurse Raines from County."  
  
"Oh yes. Is everything ok with...." Sky stopped. In a moment of panic she realized that she didn't even know Raz's real name. Quickly pulling his wallet from her pants, she flipped open to his license. "Christian Marrs?" 'His name is Christian?' She said to herself.  
  
"Mr. Marrs has come to. He would like to speak with you for a few minutes. He is still very weak and will not be able to have visitors at this hour. Keep your conversation brief and you can visit him later."  
  
"Yes mamn." Trying to be polite for a change.  
  
"Hey little one." The voice on the other end seemed strained.  
  
Sky wiped newly formed tears from her eyes; "Damn you scared me to death."  
  
"Sorry. I'm ok now. They had to take out some of my intestine though."  
  
"Oh my. I'm so sorry. It's all my fault."  
  
"Don't be sorry. Least my shit will have a shorter distance to travel."  
  
"This is not a time for jokes Christian."  
  
"Not funny. You must have my stuff."  
  
"Uh huh. That name really doesn't fit you though."  
  
"I know that's why I changed it. Hey I got to get off here. Nurse Ratchet is coming. Come see me this afternoon."  
  
"I will. Love ya Raz."  
  
"Love ya too Sky."  
  
Sky looked up at the clock on the wall. It read 5 o'clock. The team wouldn't arrive for hours. That gave her enough time to remove all the damaged body parts and glass. Working so hard took her mind off Raz. In no time the car was stripped and ready to be pieced back together. Sky ran into the office to get a parts book. Walking while flipping through the pages, she paid no attention to the person leaning against the back quarter panel of her car. She sat down next to the front passenger side wheel and held the magazine up to the rim trying to decide which to order.  
  
The person pushed off the car and crouched next to her, "Those aren't the best for this car."  
  
Sky nearly jumped out of her skin, "God Jess. How long have you been standing there?"  
  
"A few minutes. What ya doing down here?"  
  
"What'd ya mean, what are you doing here so early?" Sky shot back.  
  
"I asked you first." Jess said in a teasing tone.  
  
"Couldn't sleep, needed to get the car stripped. Since you're here, you wanna help me decide how to put her back together?"  
  
"That's why I'm here. I drew up some plans yesterday and I wanna know what ya think. Figure we should make some changes and get ya going faster so you can keep up with the rest of us." He winked and headed off to the office. After a few minutes he poked his head out of the office, "Are ya coming or what?"  
  
"Of course." She rose from the floor and ran towards the office. Jess had the computer fired up and an image of her car on the display. "Come on Einstein show me what kind of complicated plan you have come up with this time."  
  
With a few clicks and drags of the mouse, the image in his mind appeared on the monitor. He rambled off all the modifications so quickly Sky could barely understand what he was saying. All she knew was the car was going to be tight. "One more thing," He held his finger up. "Close your eyes I have a surprise for you." Sky could hear him rummaging through a box. "Alright, open."  
  
"Holy shit. That's so cool." Laid out in front of her was the new graphic for her car, a metallic angel kneeling with her wings and arms stretched back. From her fingertips, thin strikes of lightning flowed matching Sky's favorite leather pants.  
  
"Ya like? Custom made just for you. We can paint the car black and have a light purple run under the lightning. The silver graphic should stand out from the black. Figure we can use a purple under-car kit. It's really up to you."  
  
"Hell Jess just do it like you describe it and I'll be happy. How long will it take to get my baby back on the road?"  
  
A wide smile came across his face, "If we both work on it, we could have ya back on the road by Friday."  
  
"Just in time for the races. Guess Vince will have to get used to sharing his car with me for the rest of the week."  
  
"Does he know you took his car again?"  
  
"I left a note."  
  
Jess fell over he was laughing so hard, "He's gonna kill you."  
  
"Yeah right. V may talk a mean game, but he's just a big old teddy bear. I get what I want. That's the way it's always been with us. Just got to get that sad look and he melts. Dom falls for that too. Watch him with Mia sometime. You'll see." 


	34. Rebuilding a Beast

Chapter 34  
  
The sound of the alarm rang through the room. Vince stretched his tight muscular arms towards the ceiling. He hadn't slept well that night worried about Sky. He rarely had ever seen her so upset. She kept her cool much better than most. He found himself in a difficult predicament, on one hand he had his cousin that was more like his sister and on the other hand he had a guy that had become one of his best friends. Why the hell the two of them hooked up he would never know. They were so different.  
  
Reluctantly, Vince pulled the sheets back and crawled out of bed. He walked over to the still ringing alarm and pounded it with his fist. The alarm sounded once more then faded in defeat. A crumbled piece of paper caught his attention. At once he recognized the handwriting and he could feel the growl forming deep in his throat. "I'm gonna fucking kill her."  
  
Leon woke to the sound of Vince's tirade. On and on, Vince ranted about Sky taking off with his car. He had to laugh, Sky had warned V to put the car where she couldn't get to it. Guess he'll listen next time. Leon pulled the pillow from under his head and wrapped it around his ears trying to get a few more minutes of rest. The bedroom door flying open interrupted his peace. A very angry looking bear of a man stood in his door screaming, "This shit is all your fault. If you didn't go fucking around on her, she wouldn't of wrecked her car and she sure wouldn't be stealing mine. You owe me brother."  
  
Leon pushed the pillow back and sat up, "Yeah dawg. I'll take to you to Fat Burger for lunch ok. Save you from Mia's cooking."  
  
"Hey I heard that." Mia yelled from the hall. "For that you can handle dinner for the next week. Talk about my cooking like that. Who the hell does he think he is? Brainless excuse for a man." She continued to mouth off as she walked back up the stairs.  
  
"Guess we eating out this week cause I sure the hell don't know how to cook." Leon joked.  
  
Vince stomped off to his room to finish getting dressed.  
  
Jesse popped around from the front of the car and nearly scared Sky out of her skin, "Time to go to Harry's. I want you to pick out a few things there. Want to make sure the car has some of your personal touches too."  
  
"Thanks Jess. I really appreciate all the help. I made a mess of the car. From now on if you see me drinking take my keys away."  
  
"Oh I will. Cause when I'm finished with this car it'll be deadly even when you're sober much less when you're drunk."  
  
"Jess how did you get to be so smart, I mean with cars and all?"  
  
"It's the only thing besides women that can hold my attention. Used to spend hours looking through magazines learning all I could. Then my dad bought me a junker to practice on. It's like a puzzle that I need to figure out, making the car go as fast as possible. I probably sound like a dork." Jess looked down and kicked at an imaginary pebble on the ground.  
  
"Not at all Jesse. I'm amazed at how much you know. You're brilliant."  
  
He looked up and smiled sweetly at her. "Well let's go then. Got lots to do today."  
  
The cars pulled up to the garage. Vince breathed a sigh of relief to see his car in the driveway in one piece. He jumped out of Leon's car and caressed the back quarter panel of the Maxima. The team sat back and laughed at the sight of the big guy feeling up his car. "Hey boy get a room," Letty popped off.  
  
Dom walked into the garage followed by Letty, Leon and a lovesick Vince. "Alright guys as usual we've got a long list of shit to do. Let, I need you to handle the tune-up on the Integra."  
  
"Got that." She patted him on the ass and headed to the back to get the tools and parts she would need.  
  
"Nice." Dom winked in Letty's direction. "Yo Leon?"  
  
"Yeah man. What ya need?"  
  
"Got a trans overhaul on the Crapalier, I mean Cavalier sitting out front. Get Vince to help you push it into the garage. God I hate domestics."  
  
"I'm on it." Leon sprinted out of the garage and out to the Cavalier. It was light enough for him to get it moving on his own, but he needed Vince to get it over the driveway lip. Just in time Vince came up from behind and they got it in.  
  
Dom headed off to the office. He sat down and stared at the books. The shop and the store were both in the red. He had mortgaged the house, shop and store to raise capital to go into business with Johnny Tran. Three million dollars he invested into the project, building a street team that could make high speed, well coordinated deliveries. The money was all spent and the business deal fell through when he found out that they would be delivering illegal weapons. He couldn't risk being sent back to prison. Inside, he knew that he would never survive another stint in the pen. The first two years almost killed him. Somehow, he would need to find the money to save everything his dad worked for. Just didn't know how.  
  
Jess pulled up to the Racer's Edge and hopped out of the car like a kid on his first trip to the amusement park. Sky had never imagined someone could be that excited about auto parts. He opened the door for her and she strolled in. Harry was standing behind the counter lost in thought or sleeping with his eyes open. Sky couldn't decide which.  
  
"Hey Harry." Jesse belted out loud enough to echo.  
  
Harry stood up looking frazzled, "What's up Jess? What can I do for you? Good morning Sky."  
  
"Good morning Harry." Sky waved to him and then turned her attention back to the wheel display.  
  
"Harry I have a list of parts here. I need whatever you can get me today and the rest I'll need overnighted from wherever you can get them. Oh and anything she picks out." Sky turned around and smiled at them.  
  
"Will this be going on Dom's account?"  
  
"No." Sky answered for Jess. "I'll be paying for it myself. This isn't going to cost more that $400,000 is it Jess?"  
  
Stunned, Jess didn't know how to answer, "Uhhh no. Shouldn't be more that $20,000. Is that good?"  
  
"Hell yeah. Just wanted to make sure. Harry I want to get a nice roll cage too. Something that won't add too much weight to the car, but will keep me safe if I find myself in trouble. Jesse can pick it out for me."  
  
"Sure thing Sky. Is there anything else I should add to Jesse's list?"  
  
"I think that will do for now." Sky said and then placed a kiss on Jesse's cheek. "I'm sure he covered everything."  
  
"Rollin'." Played loud on the Jetta's radio, the bass pumping strong. Jess and Sky screamed along with the song bouncing to the beat. They were having entirely too much fun for ten o'clock in the morning. When the song stopped Jesse turned the radio off and looked over at Sky, "Hey would you teach me to dance like you and Leon? I wanna catch someone's attention."  
  
"Anyone in particular?" Sky questioned with a smile.  
  
"Nah. Just any girl's attention would be nice."  
  
"What are you talkin' about? There are plenty of girls looking at you, but yeah I'll teach you how to dance if you like."  
  
"Awesome." He reached for the radio and turned it back on. They bounced all the way back to the shop.  
  
The team heard the car and Jess and Sky singing a block away. Vince ran out of the garage to give Sky a piece of his mind, but when she stepped out of the car laughing and smiling he didn't have the heart to yell.  
  
"Hey V." She walked up to him and put her arms around him burying her face in his chest.  
  
Softly, he put his hand on her head and kissed her crown, "I was worried Princess."  
  
Her gray eyes peered up at him, "Sorry. Just needed to get away."  
  
"I understand." He pulled her closer and gave her a great big hug. "No more tears. I'll make sure of that." 


	35. The Friends You Need

Chapter 35  
  
Jesse stood in front of the Mitsubishi rubbing his chin with his index finger and thumb deciding how he would attack the project. In his mind he had an idea of what he needed to change, taking the idea from his mind to reality was another matter. "The engine needs to come out."  
  
"What?" Sky looked up from the rear bumper of her car. "Are you serious?"  
  
"It needs to be completely rebuilt."  
  
"Jess that will take three weeks." She walked around the car and up to Jess. "Do you know the man-hours that'll take? We'll never leave the garage."  
  
He patted her softly on the shoulder, "Let me handle the engine and I promise it won't take as long as you think. But it won't be ready at the end of the week. I can get you somethin' to drive until then."  
  
An idea suddenly popped into her mind and a wicked smile appeared on her face, "I got wheels. Take as long as you need."  
  
"Woohoo. I'm gonna need you to work on the interior. Get rid of those seats for lighter racing versions and see what else you can part with. Need to lose a little weight on this beast."  
  
"You got that shit right, but I'm telling you it's a waste of time. Too fuckin' heavy and driven by an amateur, you'll never win a race." Leon felt the need to offer his unwanted opinion.  
  
Sky looked him up and down in disgust, "Oh really and since when did you become such an expert? I bet the reason you hide behind the scanners is that you ain't got the balls to race. Makes sense you driving a yellow car and all, chicken shit."  
  
Leon let out a hearty laugh grabbing his stomach and leaning back on the car he was working on, "I'd beat your ass any day."  
  
"Name the time and place."  
  
Dom walked out of his office and slammed the door behind him causing everyone in the shop to jump, "I've had enough of this shit between you guys. No one is racing you hear me. I don't have time for this shit. If you two can't work together then one of you guys is gonna work somewhere else. Am I making myself clear?" Sky and Leon nodded and went back to the cars they were working on without another word.  
  
Lunchtime rolled around and Sky borrowed Vince's car to head to the hospital to visit Razor. She approached the front desk and was greeted by an older woman in her fifties. "May I help you?"  
  
"Yes mamn. I am here to visit Christian Marrs." Sky said the name that was unfamiliar to her. As long as she had known him he had been Razor and she had been his 'Little One' or 'Baby Girl'. Formal names were something that hardly came up in conversation.  
  
The woman typed the name quickly on her keyboard and stared intently at the screen, "Are you a relative?"  
  
"Sister." It was a small lie to get her past the security.  
  
"Your brother is in the intensive care unit listed in critical but stable condition. Take the elevators to the 14th floor; take a right and then an immediate left. Continue down the hall to room number 1457. There should be a nurse's station in the center of the unit and you may speak with his nurse there. Is there anything more I can help you with?" The woman smiled sweetly at her reminding Sky of her own grandmother.  
  
"No, but thank you."  
  
The elevator ride seemed to take forever, when in reality it was only seconds. Her nerves stood on end as the door opened. She had no idea what to expect when she saw Raz. The sound of monitors surrounded her bringing back the memory of her own stay in the ICU. Leon had been by her side the entire time and it had made the hospital bearable, but he wasn't with her anymore and this place gave her the creeps. The nurses rushed around from room to room dealing with critically injured patients, some which were near the end of their lives. The sound of her heart beat in her ears and her body began to tremble. Sky rushed to Raz's room.  
  
"Everything ok Baby Girl?" Raz noticed the perspiration on her brow.  
  
"Uh huh." She worked hard to slow her breathing and control her racing heart. "I'm...fine....you?"  
  
"Couldn't be better. Not everyday I get waited on hand and foot by hot chicks in nursing uniforms."  
  
"Razor, I can't believe you. You got shot last night and now you're making jokes. What the hell's wrong with you? Did they replace you brain?"  
  
"Chill ok? No need to be all sad and shit. I got shot. So what. It was bound to happen sooner or later. Especially with all the stuff we've been through. I'm just happy you didn't get shot. I don't know what I would do if you were laying in this bed instead of me."  
  
"I've been there." Sky mumbled under her breath and wrapped her arms around her waist.  
  
"Girl you don't look good. What's wrong? Come here." Raz patted his hand on the bed next to his thigh. "Sit your pretty ass down and tell me."  
  
Sky took a seat next to him and took a deep breath, "It's just that I almost lost you. I wish I'd killed him back at the warehouse and didn't give him the chance to hurt you."  
  
"Look at me." He cupped her chin in his hand. "I should've killed him years ago when he hurt you. You don't know how much I regret not putting a bullet in his head that night."  
  
Sky turned away from him not wanting to relive that night, not wanting to deal with it. She had tried to leave and go back home to her family. Simon had found her at the phone booth trying to call Vince. He bashed her head against the glass and then drugged her back to the warehouse kicking and screaming. He pounded her with his fists until she shrank to the floor half-conscious. Simon pulled a gun on Raz when he tried to help her. She lay on the floor in a puddle of her own blood that night while Simon watched her suffer not allowing anyone to help her. That was the time she tried to escape on her own.  
  
Raz rubbed his hand up and down on her back trying to comfort her, "Baby Girl that'll never happen again. I promise."  
  
"I know Raz really I do. Just had it rough lately and I'm overwhelmed." She sat up straight, turned around, and tucked her hair behind her ears. "So when are they springing you from this prison?"  
  
"Two week sentence at least. They have to get me back on solid foods first."  
  
"Awww. Hey did you bring my bike to L.A.?"  
  
Leon pulled into the parking lot of the Fat Burger. He swore he could hear Vince's stomach growling. This little trip was going to cost a fortune. They walked up to the counter and Vince rattled off half the menu for his order. Leon checked his wallet to be sure he had the cash available for this meal fit for a king. He felt sick handing over thirty dollars at a fast food place.  
  
Vince started stuffing his face almost immediately upon sitting down. With is mouth full of half chewed food he began to question Leon, "What the deal with you and my cousin? One minute you're all over each other and the next she wants to rearrange your face. What did you do to her?"  
  
"Yo dawg look thought we'd just pick up where we left off but it didn't work. Things change. I'm not ready to deal with a full-time headache. Prefer to keep it random. You understand."  
  
Vince stopped stuffing his face and took a hard look at Leon, "If you didn't think it was gonna work out you should've left her alone. Don't mess with her anymore cause I swear you make her cry again and I'll make sure your own mother wouldn't recognize you."  
  
Leon cringed at the mention of his mother, "It's over, not gonna mess with Sky anymore."  
  
"Then we're cool." Vince put his fist up.  
  
Leon pounded his knuckles against Vince's, "We're cool." 


	36. Broken, Needs Fixing

Chapter 36  
  
The garage was deserted except for Jesse who was still working on Sky's car. He had pulled the engine and was busy working underneath. He didn't hear the footsteps of the person next to the car due to the high volume of the stereo blasting House of Pain. Sky rolled Jesse out from underneath her car, "Hey Jess you ready for your first dance lesson?"  
  
"What? You scared the hell out of me."  
  
"Pay backs for this morning."  
  
"You wanna dance here in the shop?" He rubbed his greasy hand through his unkempt hair.  
  
"There's no one here but us. Everyone left hours ago. You didn't notice?"  
  
"Not really. If you're ready let's get to it." Jess hopped up from the floor and nearly knocked Sky over in his excitement.  
  
"Sure thing but first we need to slow this music down a bit. You can't get your groove on with this." She walked over to the radio and popped in one of her mixed CDs. The first song began with a slow pounding bass, "Nobody" by Keith Sweat. Sky moved her body next to Jesse. "Dancing is like having sex with you clothes on." Jess started moving his hips fast. "No not like that. You know this explains why you're having problems scoring."  
  
"Hey that's not funny." Jesse pulled away and leaned against the Civic behind him. "It's not easy for me. Just don't know what girls want. I've not been with a lot of them."  
  
"Relax Jesse I was just kidding. To be honest most of the time women don't know what they want. Give me your hand. I'll show you how I liked to dance with Leon and we'll go from there." The fifth song on the CD began to play, "I Wanna Know" by Joe. "Remember go slow. Just move with me." They moved close together and Sky guided Jesse's hands to the small of her back. He began to whisper the lyrics to the song in her ear. Her fingers played with the hair at the nape of his neck. Jesse slowly bent her back into a dip he had seen Leon do once. Softly he pulled her back into his arms. It put a smile on her face to see him trying.  
  
The song ended and they released each other. "Jess you don't need lessons."  
  
"You make me feel comfortable. I get nervous around other girls. Don't know if I can do this with someone else."  
  
"We'll work on that. Now you wanna try something with a little more rhythm."  
  
The team was seated around the table when they walked into the house. "Where the hell have you two been?" Vince yelled from the kitchen. "I slaved over this hot stove and you're late for dinner."  
  
"So we're having pizza from down the street," Sky countered back.  
  
"Yeah." Vince said with a cheesy grin.  
  
The table was silent except for the sounds of Vince downing his fourth piece of pizza. Dom picked at the piece in his place trying to find a way to break it to the team that soon they'd all were out of a place to live and work. There was no quick solution to the money situation. He'd blown everything and it would take a miracle to save them.  
  
The house became quiet and the team settled into their respective rooms. Dom watched Letty sleeping peacefully. He feared her reaction more than anyone's. He had betrayed her once with a Tran and now they were going to loss everything over another. He watched the clock as the hours ticked away to the fast coming sunrise. Sleep would not come to him this night, only more worries.  
  
Sky closed her eyes and drifted into a rough sleep. The nightmare was there to greet her. She stared into the barrel of the gun and had no way to escape. Her mother's screams rang through the hall. She was pleading for Sky's life. The shot rang out and Sky looked down into her dying mother's eyes. She had made the ultimate sacrifice. The radio was only a few feet from Sky. She crawled her way to the door with just inches to go when the next shot rang out.  
  
The heat and pain shook Sky from her sleep. The room was different and she was far from that night in Riverside, yet the fear was still there. In her mind any minute her father could burst through the door and finish the job. Sky jumped from bed, dressed quickly, then headed to the garage.  
  
Every night for two weeks she battled the nightmare, battled her father. Sleep never lasted for more than an hour. Fatigue took over and her whole body tensed at the sight of her bed. The only place she felt safe was the garage with her car where she felt she could escape.

Her cell phone rang out from Dom's office. It was 2 o'clock in the morning and she couldn't think of who would call her at that hour. "Speak." She commanded.  
  
"Testy are we Little One?" The familiar voice replied back.  
  
"Raz, what the hell you doing calling me so late?"  
  
"Like you were asleep? I thought that we'd take a ride on the bikes. Gotta get out of this house before I go crazy."  
  
"You just got home from the hospital today and I don't think that your doc wants you out riding around."  
  
"Shut the hell up. I'm not taking no for an answer."  
  
"Be there in 2."  
  
"No need I'm waiting outside."  
  
They raced through the streets of L.A. having a blast. Raz laughed as fearlessly Sky stood up on her bike and spread her arms out like an angel ready to take flight. Neither noticed the pack of sport bikes trailing close behind. The bikes sped up and surrounded them when Sky sat back down on her bike. The bikers flashed automatic weapons and motioned for Sky and Raz to pull into a parking lot nearby. They killed the engines and slipped off their bikes. The apparent leader headed over to where Sky and Raz were standing being guarded by some crazy-eyed Asian kid, "You're a member of Toretto's team am I right?"  
  
Sky looked him over and noticed the way too tight leather pants and over- priced cologne, "So what's it to ya?"  
  
"What's it to me? Toretto and I have an understanding. He and his stay away from here and I don't blow up his world."  
  
"Who the hell are you the godfather?"  
  
He laughed in a way that reminded her of Simon, smug and arrogant. "Who am I? Well a former business associate of Toretto. The name's Johnny Tran and that's my cousin Lance. All you see around you is ours. This belongs to me."  
  
He made a gesture to his cousin and Sky heard the gun cock. Her eyes flashed a signal to Raz and they pulled their own guns. Johnny was on his back in a split second with Sky's 45 tucked under his chin. Raz had Lance by the neck with a gun pointed to his temple.  
  
"Put your guns down boys or I splat Tran brains all over the parking lot." It was funny how fast her skills came back to her when she needed them. Some things you never forget. Johnny waved his gang off. They dropped their weapons and moved back from the bikes. "I respect your agreement with Dom and you won't see us around here again, but don't ever pull a gun on me unless you can defend yourselves." Sky and Raz got on their bikes and rode off with no more trouble.  
  
The house was eerily quiet to her. The dining room light was on and Dom sat alone staring at a full cup of coffee. "Where have you been?" He asked without even looking up.  
  
"Out for a ride. Ran into a few of your friends."  
  
"Oh yeah which ones?"  
  
"Asian thugs. Tran and company."  
  
"Shit I'm sorry. That's a messy situation."  
  
Sky was concerned by the look on his face, "Dom talk to me. What's wrong? You're a man of few words but this is quiet even for you."  
  
"I fucked up everything. We have to be out of the garage, store, and house in 30 days unless I can come up with the money."  
  
"How much?"  
  
"3 million."  
  
"What the hell did you do?"  
  
"Business deal with Tran. I mortgaged everything and the deal went south. Over and over I have thought about how to save everything."  
  
"There's only one way to get that kind of money fast." Sky sat down next to Dom and put her hand on his. "Gotta take it."  
  
"I know that, but we need professionals." He said almost defeated  
  
"Well you have two professionals on the team. Vince and I can break into anything. We can teach the rest."  
  
Dom looked up at her and smiled, "You'd never know it to look at you with that innocent baby face that you had such a criminal mind."  
  
"Years of hanging around you." She tilted her head to the side and scrunched her nose at him.  
  
"Look I got a line on a job, but not sure if we can pull it off."  
  
"Need details Dom. What'd ya have in mind?"  
  
"High-jacking semis."


	37. You Wanna Do What?

Chapter 37  
  
"Are you fucking insane? All those exhaust fumes must've killed off your last remaining brain cells. Highjack semis Dom? Shit even pros won't touch that. Too many unpredictable elements in the job. I can steal you some cars or something like that. Might take me a couple of weeks of hard casing, but I can do it. I swear you have lost your damn mind." Dom motioned for her to keep it down only pissing her off more. "Don't shhh me cause I'm not in the mood. You come off with some impossible job and think we can pull it off with the crew we got? In your dreams boy, Leon, Jesse, and Mia are straight amateurs. They'll be of no help. Tell me how in the hell are you, Letty, Vince, and me gonna do it all. Where did you get this half-baked idea?"  
  
Dom looked up and Sky and then back down at his coffee, "Old western. You know like the stagecoach robberies where the guys ride up on horses and rob everyone on board."  
  
"Yeah I watch a lot of old movies when I can't sleep, but I don't see how that will work with a semi."  
  
"Here's what I had planned. One person will be dropped off onto the truck. They break in and disable the driver. Leon and Jesse will ride back handling the scanners."  
  
"Good idea put them as far away from danger as possible." Sky agreed that was the best place for two people she cared deeply about.  
  
"Vince and I will ride in my car and distract the truck driver." Dom rubbed his hands nervously.  
  
Sky hated to know what her part in the job would be, "That leaves me and Let."  
  
Dom rubbed his hand across his newly shaven head, "Need you to break into the truck and disable the driver. Letty'll get you to the truck. You'll have to handle disabling the driver and controlling the semi. We get it to the drop off point and the money is wired into an off-shore account."  
  
"Great give me the fun job."  
  
"We can have someone else handle it, if you don't want to."  
  
"Hell no. I'm not risking anyone's life but my own. I've got a lot more experience. When's the first job? How much time do I have to prepare?"  
  
He braced for the attack, "Two days." He said the words in a whisper.  
  
"Alright. We need to get working. Get the team up now." Sky slipped into the criminal mode faster than Dom could blink. He sat there staring at her in amazement. "Yo get up off your ass and get the team up. We've wasted enough time talkin'. I'll get V and Dumbass downstairs. You get Jess and Let. Leave Mia sleeping. It's better she knows nothing."  
  
"I agree."  
  
The night of the job came faster than Sky thought it would. The job went down in two different phases. The first part involved stealing the cars used in the highjacking. The order was specific, three black cars with sunroofs. Dom, Vince, and Sky each stole one of the cars from Riverside and San Bernardino counties.  
  
They met up with the rest of the team at a warehouse and mounted up for the ride of their young lives. The target was a red semi hauling for Carvos trucking lines. They fell into formation behind the semi waiting for the right moment to begin. "Go time." Dom sent over the radio. He pulled to the left of the truck capturing the driver's attention while Letty pulled up on the right. Sky tucked her hair into her helmet and pulled down the faceplate. She opened the sunroof and waited for the all clear from Leon. She got the signal and jumped from the roof of the car onto the step of the truck. Luckily the passenger side door was unlocked. She inched it open slowly until the interior light came on. Flinging it fully open she jumped in and closed the door behind her.  
  
"What the fuck?" were the only words the driver got out before she went in for the kill. She threw a punch directly at his head. His grip on the wheel tightened and the truck began to swerve wildly. He reached under his seat and pulled out a small baseball bat. The driver got a good hit into the Sky's ribs before she slammed her fist hard into his nuts rendering him powerless. With a punch to the nose she knocked him out and jumped into the driver's seat. "Uh got control." She managed to say over the radio. Her obviously broken ribbed constricted her breathing. "Lead the way."  
  
The radios were silent as they drove to the drop-off point. An empty parking lot awaited them. The semi rolled to a stop and she turned off the ignition. The pain from her ribs caused her eyes to tear up. She hated feeling weak and didn't want the team to give her shit for getting hurt. With all her strength she pulled her self together hopping out of the truck like nothing was wrong. Letty pulled up beside her, "Hey baby you need a ride?"  
  
"You can't afford me." Sky joked back.  
  
"Bet I can. Get in and let's get the hell outta here. It gives me the creeps."  
  
Just as they were leaving they noticed a black van pull up. Two men jumped out and got into the truck. The team watched as the truck was collected. Dom answered his ringing cell phone, "Yeah."  
  
"Job well done Mr. Toretto. We'll be sending more work your way. The money has been deposited as per your instructions. Have a nice evening."  
  
The line went dead. Dom breathed a sigh of relief. The money they had earned from one haul would at least pay off the shop and garage. He hoped to negotiate with the bank on the house and get them off their backs until the next job.  
  
Sky had set up for a chop shop to take the cars and provide the team with a small finders fee. The team rolled up to the warehouse and left the cars with the keys still in the ignitions. They jumped into Vince and Jesse's cars to head home. Mia was pacing the floor when the team burst through the door. Jess ran to make sure the money was in the account and sure enough it was. Everyone had smiles on their faces except Sky. She tried to back away from the celebration towards the stairs unnoticed. Vince caught her sneaking back, "Get over here Princess. Damn you got to have a drink with us." He grabbed her and patted her hard on the arm near her elbow. With a flash of pain she was brought to her knees. "Oh God." Vince lifted her off the floor. Her face was red and she forced each tiny breath. He carried her over to the couch and lifted her shirt.  
  
Mia came to her rescue, "V I don't think she wants to be stripped in front of everyone. All you guys head to the dining room and let me and Letty handle this."  
  
Vince kissed Sky on the forehead and gave a wink to Mia, "Whatever you say Dr. Toretto."  
  
Mia dropped down on her knees in front of Sky and Letty kneeled beside her, "We're going to take your shirt off and get a good look at ya." Very easy she lifted the black wife-beater from Sky and set it to the side. Letty and Mia cringed at the sight of the black and blue mark on Sky's right side.

Letty gasped, "Damn girl what the fuck did he hit you with?"

"A... bat." Sky managed to whisper.

"I hope you gave him something to remember you by."

Sky nodded with a little smile.

Mia ran her fingers over the area and pushed lightly on the ribs. Sky let out a scream that could've woke the dead. The guys came running in the room.  
  
Leon's heart sank, "We need to get her to the hospital. Her lung is messed up and shit on the right side from the gunshot and we need to make sure the rib didn't do anymore damage."  
  
"No. No Hospital. I'm ok. Just need." She couldn't get the rest of the words out. Her breath was shallow.  
  
Mia looked at her concerned, "He's right. You need a doctor."  
  
"Mi you're just..." Sky stopped to take a breath. "Gonna have to do."  
  
"I'm not even in medical school yet. There could be damage massive damage."  
  
"It's ok. Trust me. Been in worse condition than this."  
  
Mia told Vince to carry Sky upstairs. Letty and Mia decided to take turns looking over her that night.


	38. Opening Up

The reviews have been phenomenal so I had to get a chapter out to you guys. Thanks for all the support and great reviews. Best not to keep you all waiting. Here we go...  
  
Chapter 38  
  
No matter which position she laid in Sky couldn't get comfortable. Every breath sent a sharp pain through her chest. She wondered if she should have gone to the hospital. But the pain was also a blessing because it kept her awake and the nightmare at bay. Letty was on nurse duty fast asleep in the bed next to Sky. After a hundred position changes Sky decided to get out of bed and headed downstairs. The floor creaked under her footsteps as she made her way to the backdoor.  
  
The air was light with a gentle breeze. It reminded her of the nights she'd sit on the back porch with her mom when her dad was on duty. They would talk about everything from school to boys. Only her mom knew about the feelings she had for Leon. Her mom just smiled and said that she couldn't wait until the day her baby married her best friend. She believed that Leon and Sky belonged together and she knew it the first day the two met. "It was an instant connection." Sky's mom noted during one of those porch conversations. "The minute you laid eyes on one another it was as though you already knew each other. It's fate that moved that family into this neighborhood and fate that will guide you hearts together."  
  
"Ok Mom that's enough talk about that. Next thing I know you'll be bringing out patterns for the wedding dress."  
  
"Well now that you mentioned it." Her mom joked.  
  
Sky could still hear the sound of her mom's laugh echo through her ears. She missed her more than she could ever say. Tears began to fall from her eyes. She was grieving, something she had never let herself do. There wasn't time. Her life was turned upside down from the night her dad pulled the trigger. Part of her was still afraid to feel safe because at any moment her foundation could be ripped away again. A pair of arms wrapped around her and Sky turned her head to see Jesse's sweet face.  
  
He had a look of concern, "You should be in bed. Not good for you to be out here."  
  
"I can't Jess."  
  
"Can't what?"  
  
"I can't keep going like this. It's not fair. Why am I here? I should be dead."  
  
Jess came around and kneeled in front of her, "Don't ever say that. Ever. I mean it."  
  
"Why was I the only member of my family to live that night? Something went wrong. My mom should've lived. Not me. It's not fair, she had so much to live for. What the hell have I done to help anyone?"  
  
"What the hell have you done to help anyone?" Jess walked away from her and tried to find words for all the thoughts in his head. "Before you came here something was missing. No one could ever put their finger on it, but something was missing. You brighten things up." He put his hand on hers. "Sky I know what you're going through. I went through it too."  
  
"What happened Jess?"  
  
"My dad used to call what I felt, guilt. Um something guilt."  
  
"Survivor's guilt?"  
  
"Yeah that's it. Survivor's guilt. When you feel guilty cause you lived and they didn't. I'm gonna tell you something, but you can't tell anyone else. Ok?"  
  
"I promise Jesse. I won't say a word." Sky noticed the way he was biting his bottom lip and saw his nervousness. "You don't have to tell me."  
  
"No I want to. Here goes. When I was five years old my mom and I went out to the store. We decided to walk since it was only a few blocks away. She always told me to hold on to her hand and to pay attention to where I was going. About a block from the store we stopped so my mom could talk to a friend. I got bored with the conversation and let go of her hand. Across the street was a toyshop and I saw something in the window that caught my attention. Without looking I walked into the street. A loud horn blew and I saw the grill of the truck headed just feet away. The only I remember after that was lying on the sidewalk with my head bleeding. I looked towards the truck and saw my mom underneath it. She wasn't moving." Jess stopped speaking and wiped the tears from his cheeks. "She pushed me outta the way. She gave her life for mine, just like your mom did for you. It's what moms do. I blamed myself for a long time, but my dad finally got it in my head that there's a reason I'm still here and there's a reason you're still here."  
  
"Oh God I'm so sorry. I always wondered why my mom took the bullet for me. Why did I survive two shots and she didn't survive one. Jess I just wish I knew why."  
  
"I know this isn't the answer you want to hear but God must've had his reasons. The same reason he took my mom or Mia and Dom's parents. No one ever really knows why. You just have to stop blaming yourself."  
  
"You're the most amazing person I've ever met. You understand something I never could."  
  
"Sky you've got to let it out. Be sad that she's gone, but get on with living your life."  
  
"I know what I need to do. But I'm gonna need a little help. You in?"  
  
Jess wrapped his arm around her shoulder, "Of course." He extended his hand to her and helped her up from the steps. "Time to get you back to bed. See if we can't get you comfortable."  
  
"Thanks Jess. I'm glad that Leon found you. You must've taken really good care of him."  
  
"The other way around. He kept me out of trouble. You still love him don't you?"  
  
"Yes I do. No guy has ever been able to steal my heart like he did. I can't imagine being in love with anyone but him." Sky shut the door and locked it. They headed up the stairs to bed.  
  
Leon sat on the top of basement stairs and thought over everything that was said. He had been there the whole time and heard the entire conversation. His heart fell to the pit of his stomach when he heard her say that no guy had ever stolen her heart like he did. It didn't make sense to him. Why had she left that night with the guy on the motorcycle if he was the only one? Something didn't add up. Frustrated with the lack of answers he went to bed, but happy at least knowing that she was all right.  
  
The team sat around the dining room table munching on the burnt biscuits and watery gravy that Leon and Vince had cooked up for them, all wishing that Mia would forgive the guys and go back to cooking. They would rather stomach Mia's cooking than the crap they had been eating for the last few days. Letty whispered to Sky that they would take the long way to work and pick up of Krispy Kreme for them and Mia. Sky's mouth began to water at the thought of the sugary delight of warm glazed doughnuts. She fidgeted in her seat ready to bolt out the door.  
  
Dom cleared his throat to get everyone's attention. He began to speak in a low, gruffy tone, "We pulled it off, but that way didn't work so well. There is no amount of money worth getting a member of this family hurt. Any ideas?" Jess raised his hand like he was in grade school. Dom shook his head, "Just tell us, this ain't the third grade."  
  
Jess slid his hand down, "Yeah sorry. Little wired."  
  
"When are you not wired?" Vince threw in.  
  
"Ok never, but here's what I had in mind. "We get three permanent cars for the jobs. We make them identical. Get something there are a lot of in L.A., like a Civic. Anyways, one car'll take the lead and pop the passenger side windshield. The next car'll come up and drop a person off on the front that way they can see if the trucker has a weapon and back off."  
  
Dom looked confused, "How the hell is the person gonna get onto the truck? For that matter how are we going to pop the front windshield?"  
  
"Spear guns." Sky piped up. "Look we equip one of the cars with a wench. The person handling popping the window will shoot a spear into the window and the wench can pull it out. The next car pulls up and uses a spear to latch onto something in the truck like a seat. Then hook the steel cable to a harness and make the jump to the cab. Oh and I suggest that we use some kind of tranquilizer. The nutcracker and broken nose approach didn't save me a couple of broken ribs. The scanner car should carry a backup heavy-duty tranq gun in case of emergencies. I know that I can make the jump easily."  
  
Leon stood up from the table, "Over my dead body are you gonna to do that shit. I want you safe and sound in one of the cars. If any of us should be taking it easy it's you. So someone else better step up."  
  
"Leon I can handle it. It's just a few ribs." Sky was almost pleading with him to change his mind.  
  
"Fuck that. My mind is made up. Either someone else does it or we don't do the job. He could've killed you. Don't you get that? You're not invincible."  
  
Vince stood up next to Leon, "I agree. You're not taking the jump. I am. You can pop the window and get your ass back in the car."  
  
Sky knew she had been defeated, "Whatever."  
  
"Where are we getting all this shit?" Dom had lost control of his team and he wanted get their attention back. "Sky you gonna rub a magic lamp and this stuff is going to just appear?"  
  
"Nah, but close. I have some connections. Give me a sec." She flipped open her phone and dialed the number she knew by heart.  
  
After a couple of rings a man answered, "Hello. What can I do for ya?"  
  
"May I speak with Mr. Scolini?"  
  
"Who's callin?"  
  
"His Angel."  
  
"One moment put you right through." The man's tone was nervous.  
  
A man with a thick Italian accent came to the phone, "Is this my Angel?"  
  
"Yes it is. How ya doing Big Poppa?"  
  
"Better now that I got my girl on the phone. You took off outta here like a bat outta hell. No note or call. I have been worried sick."  
  
"My apologies. I did not mean to leave without notice, but I ran into a rather large problem."  
  
"A problem I would have gladly taken care of for you."  
  
"That problem has been solved."  
  
"I heard. News about the crash in Los Angeles traveled fast. Did he hurt you in any way?"  
  
"A little, but he got the worst of it in the end. Now as to why I called. I need a large favor."  
  
"Anything. You need only ask I have told you."  
  
"Good. I have a long list are you ready?"  
  
"Yes. Tommy is listening in to write it all down."  
  
"I need three untraceable Honda Civics with six sets of California license plates each. Need the cars to have the works, better yet just send the parts and we'll put them together. Need two spear guns, the usual kind I like. You know the silver ones. I need two tranquilizer guns, one for long range and the other a handgun. Of course I need the ammo for them too. That should be about it."  
  
"Angel, I'll have this to you in two days. I'll call with the pick up location."  
  
"Thank you so much Big Poppa. Just pay for everything out of my account."  
  
Sky said her goodbyes and hung up the phone, "Two days and we'll have everything."  
  
The team stared at her like she was crazy. Leon finally broke the silence; "It's time you told us all the truth about New York." 


	39. So You Wanna Know What Happened in New Y...

Chapter 39  
  
"So you wanna know what happened in New York? Are you sure Leon?" Her tone flashed with sarcasm and anger. "Do you really want to know? How much of the truth do you think you can handle?" She stood up from her seat and walked to the window. The morning sun was shining on the rims that made up the legs of the picnic table. She watched as a bird landed on the table. It seemed to be staring back at her. It chirped and flew away. Sky wished at that moment she had wings to fly away too. "How much time do ya got?" She turned around to face the team with sadness written on her face.  
  
The room was silent for a few minutes until Dom spoke, "Sky you don't have to tell us anything you don't want to. What happened there is the past and it don't matter."  
  
"But you see Dom that's the problem. It's not the past. It's my past, present, and future. I will always have to deal with it. Besides Leon here won't be satisfied until he knows the truth. He needs to know how bad I am so he will have an excuse for what he did. He needs to clear his conscience."  
  
"Bullshit Sky my conscience is clear. I don't really care if you tell me or not. I made up my mind about you a long time ago. Nothing you say gonna change that." Leon crossed his arm and leaned back in his chair. "So go on tell your sob story."  
  
"When did you become such an asshole? Might as well tell y'all cause I've got nothing to hide anymore. Guess I'll start at the beginning since you know I left a lot out of the story the first time I told it. I hitched a ride with an old woman into NYC. She dropped me off on some deserted street and I started walking. Had no particular direction in mind, I just wanted to find a place for the night. I reached a payphone and gave Vince a call."  
  
"You should've stay at the home. I was working on getting you back." Vince growled.  
  
"I didn't have time to wait. Anyways I spot this kid trying to break into a car. It was a simple break-in but the kid was struggling. I helped him out thinking I'd get a place to crash for the night and then I'd head back to L.A. He introduced me to the group he lived with and gave me a spot on his bed to sleep on."  
  
Leon jumped up from his seat and stormed out of the dining room. "Wish you'd left that part out."  
  
"Wait Leon before you go off. Let me explain." She pushed him back into the dining room and continued her tale. "Simon, the leader, had his eye on me from the start. It set my nerves on end. Razor didn't trust him so he offered me one side of his bed to protect me. He always slept light and would hear when Simon tried to get near me. All the guys protected me. After being there about six months I decide to make my getaway. I snuck out late one night and reached a phone booth. I got the first three numbers dialed before Simon bashed my head into the glass. He pulled me into his SUV by my hair and drove back to the shop. In the middle of the shop he beat me. Everyone tried to help but Simon had a gun. They couldn't get near me." Sky became silent as she let the image play out in her mind. She didn't have the courage to say out loud what happened next. The vision of Simon ripping her clothes off and raping her in front of everyone flashed like pictures. She spent hours lying on that floor with nothing covering her battered body. She began again to speak, "After God knows how many hours he finally let Raz take me upstairs to the living quarters to clean me up. I didn't move from the bed for a week."  
  
Sky took a look around at the members of the team. They sat silent with stunned looks on their faces. Even Leon didn't have anything to say. She wondered what was going on in their heads, wondered what they thought of her. "Every day I thought of a plan of escape. Many times I tried and every time Simon caught me. It was as though me had eyes everywhere. So I found another way to escape. At first I popped a few pills each morning and then it evolved into a few lines of coke. It got to the point that I didn't function at all, just lay in the bed staring at the cracks in the ceiling. Simon's beating didn't even wake me. At some point Simon decided that I was more of a liability and sold me to Mr. Scolini."  
  
Vince stopped her from speaking, "I need a break Sky. This is too much."  
  
"I understand." Sky leaned her head against Vince's shoulder and closed her eyes. It had been too much for her.  
  
Dom got up from his chair and walked over to Sky. He put his large hands on her shoulders and rubbed gently, "Let's get to work and Sky can tell us the rest later."  
  
Lunchtime rolled around and the team was ready for the rest of the story. They huddled around the box of sandwiches Mia had brought over and waited for Sky to begin again. "Mr. Scolini didn't buy me in the sense that you guys are thinking. He told Simon that's what he wanted, but he really felt sorry for me. He had come into the shop one day seeing me seated against a support column strung out and said I looked like a angel fallen from heaven. That's how I became his angel. He took me home, cleaned me up, and put me into rehab. When I got out I joined him in the business. During meetings I'd stand behind his right shoulder. I had a knack for picking out undercover feds and anyone that was trying to screw him over. He lavished me with gifts beyond my wildest dreams. All I had to do was ask and it was mine. Jewels, clothes, cars you name it I had it."  
  
Leon threw his empty bottle of Corona into the garbage, "Damn New York don't sound so bad. No wonder you didn't rush back. To think I was worried about you."  
  
"Damn it. I've about had enough of you. That was the last six months I was there. Most of the time I was in New York I lived at Simon's shop."  
  
"Wait a minute I thought you were at Simon's shop when you took off." Dom asked thoroughly confused by the story.  
  
"I was at Simon's. I had kept in contact with Raz and Takara, Simon's girlfriend. I wanted to get them out of there too. I rejoined Simon's crew a week before we left. We almost got out of there before he came back. Unfortunately he came back early and got the brunt of my bat upside his head. I traveled to Chicago with the crew. Once I knew they were safe I flew back to L.A. and went home. I planned on the story ending there, but Leon stumbled upon me with gun in hand."  
  
"Oh my God Sky," Mia covered her mouth in shock.  
  
"Don't even tell me what you were thinking cause clearly you weren't thinking at all." Vince sat back against the car and shook his head. "No goodbye or nothing. You didn't even care what that'd do to me."  
  
"I didn't want anyone else to suffer because of me."  
  
Letty patted Leon on the shoulder, "Good thing our boy here found your dumbass."  
  
Dom laughed, "So that's all of it huh? You should've told us in the first place."  
  
"Not so soon, there's more."  
  
Dom's laughter ceased, "What do you mean there's more?"  
  
"There's always more. The day I got the GT, I ran into Simon while I was out getting lunch."  
  
Vince stood up and moved in front of where she sat on the ground, "Why the hell didn't you say something?"  
  
"Simple really. I handled it."  
  
"Wrong answer." He kicked her shoe. "Why didn't you tell us?"  
  
"He said he'd kill you and Leon."  
  
Leon walked over and stood next to Vince, "I can handle myself."  
  
"Not against this guy." She moved up from the floor. "He knew your cars, your routines, and everything. I couldn't risk it. I know what he is capable of. All I had to do was pull off a few jobs for him. Late at night when you were sleeping Leon I'd sneak out of the room and be back before you woke."  
  
A wave of panic raced through Leon's body, "How did you get to the job?"  
  
"Simon sent a guy to pick me up on a bike."  
  
Leon felt disgusted inside. She hadn't cheated on him. She was too busy saving his life. It felt as if the room was spinning around him. "Why the fuck did you lie to me? What is your problem? I hate you Sky. Do you hear me? I hate you." He took out his rage on her. He was angry with himself but didn't know how else to deal with it. Sky stood in front of him taking all the insults he could throw at her without flinching. He wanted her to pound her fists into his face, but she only stared at him with sad, gray eyes. "I'm outta here." The sound of his screeching tires echoed through the shop.  
  
"I'm sorry Leon." She said after he sped away.  
  
"Where is this Simon at now so I can break his neck?" The knuckles of Vince's hand popped as he stretched his arms out.  
  
"He's dead. Gunmen attacked Raz and me. We got away. Their SUV slammed into another vehicle and exploded. Simon was inside." Her body was weak from the emotional torture she has subjected herself to. She walked out of the shop and got on her bike.  
  
The delivery was made as planned. Big Poppa had sent her a gift with the shipment, a pair of diamond chandelier earrings. The team didn't see her leave. She decided to spend the night out on the town wrapped in the arms of the one guy who didn't really know her at all. Troy was waiting at the door of the club when the cab pulled up to the curb.  
  
"Hello sexy. I'm sure happy you called tonight." His cheesy grin almost made her was to vomit.  
  
"Just make me forget." She whispered under her breath.  
  
Troy opened the door and they slipped into the noisy club. 


	40. White Boy and his Tuna

Hey guys if you don't happen to remember who this Troy guy is he came into the story in Chapter 22 and showed up again in Chapter 30. Sky has flirted with him a couple of times to get Leon's attention or just straight revenge. But how far will she take it....

This chapter was getting too long so I am posting this part tonight and the next part tomorrow.  
  
Chapter 40  
  
Sky danced close to Troy trying to forget the look on Leon's face. She had left out quite a bit from her days in NYC. The dancing at the strip club for drug money and the fact that Big Poppa was the head of one of NYC's largest crime families. She thought those details would best be kept under wraps. She couldn't let Leon know how low her life had sunk without him. Things were much better now even with him hating her, at least he was close. She could see him anytime she wanted.  
  
The song ended but Sky kept dancing. Her hand slipped up to the nape of Troy's neck and playfully curled his hair around her finger. For a moment she forgot it was Troy with his arms around her, all she felt was Leon. Troy began to speak bringing Sky out of the dream, "You wanna get outta here and go back to my place?" She hesitated then accepted his offer. It was a mistake and she knew it. The only person she wanted to be with was Leon. Why couldn't Leon see that she still loved him? The valet pulled the car around and opened the door for her to slip in. Nervously, she played with her right earring not knowing if she could go through with it.  
  
Troy owned a condo in Santa Monica. Typical rich boy born with a silver spoon in his mouth going slumming. Sky figured his parents put him here to learn how the other half lives. They made their way up to his place immediately he pulled Sky into his arms. He carried her over to the couch kissing her neck. In her mind flashed the memory of Leon and the skank having sex in his bed. Jealousy and fury took over. She allowed Troy to unzip her dress and slip it off. Just as he was about to undo her bra his cell phone rang. He blew an angry breath before answering. A sigh of relief escaped Sky's lips. She slipped her dress back on, her sanity returning quickly.  
  
Troy went into the kitchen to talk alone. Sky moved into the hallway to get a better listen. She could only hear Troy's side of the conversation. "Look I ain't got anything for you right now. I'm working on it. Not so easy to get what you're looking for. How would you like me to get it to you faster? This one is hard to crack. Yeah whatever." Great she thought to herself. She's got involved with another crook. It was time to split. Quickly she gathered her things and headed for the door.  
  
"Where are you going?"  
  
She turned around to see him standing a few feet away. "It's late Troy and I have to work tomorrow. Can we do this another time?"  
  
"How about tomorrow?"  
  
"Yeah great." Why had she said that? She didn't want to go out with him again but she had just accepted another date. This sucked in her opinion.  
  
The ride to Echo Park was empty of conversation. Sky spent most of the time trying to fix her makeup. Didn't want the team to know what she had been up to. Thankfully they were all in bed when she crept up to her room. She threw herself on the bed and fell fast asleep fully dressed shoes and all.  
  
Troy picked her up around 7 that night. She noted that he smelled good, fresh and clean. They drove to the beach to have a picnic. After several glasses of wine her vision began to spin. She didn't like the feeling, the loss of control. Troy began rubbed her hand trying to get closer. "Sky you never talk about what you did before you came here? Where were you?"  
  
"With friends out of state."  
  
"Which state?"  
  
"East Coast."  
  
"That narrows it down. Where specifically?"  
  
"It don't matter cause my friends don't live there anymore."  
  
"What did you do there? Where are your friends now?"  
  
"We sold stuff. They're scattered now."  
  
"What did you sale?"  
  
"What's with all the questions Troy? Something isn't right. Come to think about it, you always seem to show up where I'm at. What's the deal Troy? Are you working for someone trying to get info on me? This date is over man. Stay the fuck away from me and my family."  
  
"Sky wait let's talk about this. I just want to get to know you. Learn some things about you."  
  
"I'm not that stupid or drunk. Got to go. See ya."  
  
Sky staggered her way towards home. Troy was right behind her in the car yelling to get back in so he could drive her home. A red Integra pulled in front of Troy's car and Edwin hopped out. "Yo girl is he bothering you."  
  
"Edwin I just want to get home."  
  
"Hop in. Edwin don't let any woman as hot as you walk home." He looked over to Troy, "Go home buster she's got a ride."  
  
"Thanks Edwin."  
  
"Don't mention it. Everyone knows that you don't let a Toretto woman walk home if you wanna walk the next day. That's an unspoken rule."  
  
The night came to try out the new gear. Dom got the call about a truck with Rodgers on the side of the trailer. With the words "Go Time" Letty's car pulled around the front of the truck. Sky opened the moonroof and shot the spear through the center of the passenger window. She hit the switch on the wench and the window popped right out. After pulling the spear back in she closed the window. Letty pulled to the left of the truck to wait. Dom came up on the right side of the truck. Vince got into position firing the spear into the passenger seat of the truck. Once the line was secured Vince took the leap from the car to the truck. He fired two tranqs into the neck of the driver. The truck swerved wildly until he got it under control. Dom pulled in line with the semi. Letty in one of the most insane moments jerked the car under the semi.  
  
"You gonna get us killed." Sky's screamed while looking back at the wheels of the semi getting closer.  
  
"Nah. Ya got to have fun with this shit."  
  
"This is not my idea of fun." Just as she finished speaking boards from a road construction site flew past her window. "Holy shit."  
  
"Only one lane open no choice but to get under the truck. God I'm good."  
  
"No you're not. You're crazy."  
  
"Yep. Calm down and live in the moment. We're under a truck going 105mph. It don't get better than that."  
  
Sky calmed down and took in the surroundings. It was really cool. Letty pulled out from under the truck, kept her speed up and went under again coming out on the other side. The girls screamed loud after the second successful pass.  
  
"Enough fun girls." With that comment Dom brought an end to their fun.  
  
Four jobs in two months took a toll on the team. They were exhausted but had to keep up appearances at the shop. Sky was the last to get out of bed most mornings due to the fact that she rarely slept until after 4am. Nightmares still clouded her mind each night. The dawn came too early. The look in Leon's eyes as she walked into the room tore at her heart. She didn't stay long just long enough to grab a biscuit and piece of sausage. Her bike waited outside for her to ride away on. Stuffing the last bite into her mouth she looked back at the front door and then swallowed hard. Why was this the way things had to be? She pulled her helmet on and straddled the bike. The engine purred to life. She rode off to the garage without looking back. It was empty just the way she liked it. The inside of her car and the paint job were done. All that was left was for Jesse to put the engine back in and connect the lines. He had been so busy working on the Civics that he never had time to get her car fixed. He promised her to have it back on the rode within days. Soon she could prove her worth on the street. Sky knew she could drive fast she needed to prove it to them.  
  
Lunch rolled around and the team rode off to the store to eat. Letty pulled in followed by Sky on her bike, Leon, Vince, and Jesse. Vince got out of his car bitching as usual about his car.  
  
"That's why you're unloading in third." Jesse tried his best to explain the Maxima's problems to Vince.  
  
Leon picked at his fingernails, "I told you it was third."  
  
"I told you to get that car tuned months ago. I barely made it home a couple of nights when I borrowed it." Sky loved to rub salt in Vince's wounds.  
  
"Yeah and how many times did I tell you to stay outta my car?"  
  
"Apparently not enough." She stuck her tongue out at him.  
  
Vince caught a glimpse of the red Racer's Edge truck sitting across the street. He turned Jesse's head to show him. A blond guy was seated at the counter. He had been there every weekday for the past three weeks. It was time to pound on the white boy. "What's up with this fool? Is he sandwich crazy?"  
  
Leon walked up next to Vince, "Nah V. He ain't here for the food dawg."  
  
Letty knew trouble was brewing, "Chill out bro. He's just slinging parts for Harry."  
  
Vince waved his finger, "I know what he's slinging."  
  
"He's trying to get in Mia's pants dawg."  
  
Sky looked at Leon, "You'd know the way you chase ass. You can spot others of your kind."  
  
"What ya jealous sweetheart?"  
  
"Not even." She walked past him and back to the fridge for a cold drink. "Hey Mi how's things?"  
  
"Good."  
  
"How ya doing Mia?" Jesse asked as he grabbed a bag of chips and lobbed them over the aisle to Leon.  
  
"Hey Jess."  
  
Jess walked past Sky and kissed her on the cheek making her smile. He grabbed her pop took a small drink and handed it back to her.  
  
All eyes turned to Vince who sat down right next to the white guy shoving a bowl of sugar his direction. Vince stared at him intently until Mia broke his attention. "You look good." He shot a complement hoping the white boy would get the drift.  
  
"Thanks for the sandwich Mia. See you tomorrow." The white boy stood up, paid his bill, and headed for the truck.  
  
"Tomorrow?" Vince stood up and walked after the white boy. "Why don't you try Fatburger for now on? You can get a cheeseburger and fries for $2.95 fagot."  
  
"I like the tuna here."  
  
"Bullshit asshole no one likes the tuna here."  
  
"Well I do." The white boy answered back.  
  
With that Vince plowed into the guy's back sending him flying into the door of the truck. Sky went to run out of the shop to help V, but Jess caught her holding her back. Letty and Mia both yelled at Dom to stop the fight. He took a look at the white boy holding his own against Vince, "What'd you put in that sandwich?"  
  
Within seconds Dom had the white boy sprawled out on the trunk of the Maxima. He read him the riot act and told him not come back around. When the white boy protested Dom told him he would see to it that Harry fired him. The team figured it would be the last time they saw the white bread.  
  
"I don't like him." Sky whispered in V's ear when he walked back into the store. "Something about him I don't trust."  
  
"Got the same feeling. We need to keep an eye out. Just don't make sense he coming up in here everyday. I smell cop."  
  
"Me too."


	41. Easy Win

Chapter 41  
  
It was race night and the upstairs bathroom was as usual packed with women trying to get ready. Mia was taking her own sweet time with her hair. She was hoping that white boy might show up at the races. Letty pushed her way past Mia for her makeup bag deciding it was best to get ready in her and Dom's room. Sky on the other hand had no choice but to wait. She needed a shower bad. "Mi come on already. I smell girl. Got to get a shower and be ready in an hour."  
  
Mia turned around, "Just five more minutes."  
  
"Forget it. I'll use Vince and Leon's bathroom."  
  
"Thank you thank you thank you."  
  
"Yeah whatever." Down the stairs she stomped not wanting to have another scene with Leon. Luckily the bathroom was completely empty. In seconds she stripped to nothing jumping into the hot streaming water. It was then she heard someone open the bathroom door. "Shit." She forgot to lock the door. "Please let it be Vince." She repeated over and over in her head.  
  
"Yo dawg how long you gonna be in there? Need to get hosed off myself."  
  
Sky peeked her head out the curtain. There was Leon in nothing but boxer shorts taking a piss. She had to laugh at the situation. As a joke Leon flushed the toilet. The water scalded her back. She squashed the urge to scream long enough for Leon to leave the room.  
  
He walked out of the bathroom laughing his ass off until he saw Vince coming out of his bedroom. If Vince was in his room then who did he just scald in the shower? Curiosity got the best of him and he opened the bathroom door to see Sky toweling off. "What can't use the bathroom upstairs?"  
  
"Not with Mia in it. The shower's all yours and this time I left you some hot water." She wondered if he remembered the night they spent in the motel after they ran away. Sky wrapped the towel around her tightly and moved past Leon her skin lightly brushing his. Her heart skipped a beat being that close to him. She made a silent prayer that someday they could be close again.  
  
The alley between the warehouses was thick with cars. Dom led the team into the alley in formation. Leon and Letty were positioned at his sides. Vince and Jesse formed the rest of the V with Sky between them. Cheers from the crowd greeted Dom. No race was legit without the King of L.A. The welcoming party better known as Monica and Giselle made their way up to him. Letty walked up behind Dom, "I smell...skanks. Why don't you girls pack it in before I leave tread marks on your face?"  
  
"Letty we were just talking." Dom came to his own defense.  
  
"Yeah whatever." She wasn't having it that night.  
  
Sky walked up behind Letty and patted her on the shoulder, "Nice. I'm gonna have to remember that one."  
  
"I got more than that. Girl stick with me. I'll teach ya right." Letty spotted a gold 300zx parked near the entrance to the alley. "Hey ain't that your boy's car?"  
  
Sky closed her eyes silently wishing when she turned around it would be another car. "Shit. I swear to God I'm going to kick his ass. Why can't he take the hint?" Sure enough Troy got out of the driver's side sending a kiss her way. Sky pushed through the crowd and got up in his face. "Go away and never come back. Do you understand what I am saying to you? Go away. There's nothing happening here."  
  
He brushed his hand on her left cheek, "Please give me another chance. I don't know what was wrong with me. Just wanted to know you. Damn it girl I fell for you. I need to be next to you."  
  
"No this can't work." She pushed his hand away. "Troy please do yourself a favor and run in the opposite direction."  
  
"Can't. I'm drawn to you. Just hear what I got to say and if you still don't want to be with me I'll leave you alone."  
  
The sound of engines firing caught her attention. "Not now. Time to get out of here. Meet me at the party tonight. We'll talk then." She didn't wait for him to speak. There was no time for it; she jumped into her car following Jesse out.  
  
The crowd stood in the middle of the street celebrating another fine victory by Dominic Toretto. White boy had put up the pink slip to his Eclipse and lost. Dom was reading the guy the riot act for shitty driving. "Granny shifting not double clutching like you should." Everyone was having a good time at the boy's expense, all except Mia. She had it bad. The baby blues stole her heart the first time she saw them.  
  
"We got cops cops cops go!!!!" Leon shouted into the radio.  
  
The celebration ended with everyone scattering to their cars. Cruisers came from all directions. A cop pulled in front of Sky blocking her in or at least that's what the cop thought. She slammed the car in reverse running up on the sidewalk. For a block she rode the sidewalk jumping the curb right before her turn. In and out she weaved through the massive line of cops. Once she cleared the traffic no one could catch her. A few minutes later she arrived at the house. Being the first home she took the first spot in the driveway. Leon and Letty pulled in behind her. "Hey guys that was fun."  
  
"Where the hell did all those cops come from Leon?" Letty was pissed thinking he didn't do his job.  
  
"The scanners were clear. It doesn't make sense at all."  
  
"There's a cop in the scene. That's the only way they'd find us." Sky hesitated then spoke what was on her mind. "Yo white boy is a cop. Why else would he subject himself to Mia's tuna?"  
  
Leon shook his head, "He's not a cop. He's just trying to get him a piece."  
  
"We'll see who's right. Bet you that boy is a cop."  
  
"What you wanna put up?" He figured he could make an easy buck.  
  
"If he turns out to be a cop I get to drive your car for a day and Let and I go on a shopping spree with your money."  
  
"Hold up. Not my car."  
  
"What not so sure of yourself?"  
  
"You got yourself a deal and if I win you." He thought for a moment as to what he really wanted. "You have to wash my car naked in the driveway every weekend for a month and I get to go shopping for my car on your money."  
  
"Deal."  
  
Letty looked from Sky to Leon and then back again, "Both of you are out of your f'n minds."  
  
Troy was waiting on the couch when Sky walked into the room. She motioned for him to follow her upstairs. When he reached the hallway Sky threw him up against the wall. "Alright you better start talking cause I have a nasty temper and I'm at boiling point."  
  
"Look I screwed up. I asked too many questions. Can we just sit down and talk this out? I really want to be with you."  
  
"You said all this shit already. Give me something new."  
  
"Fine here's the truth. You're such a mystery to me. Never seen you before and then one day you show up at the races. I'm curious where you came from and want to make sure that you're not just playing me for my money."  
  
"Why the hell would I play you for your money? I have plenty of my own." Sky leaned back away from him. "Just dance with me. We'll worry about the rest later." He took her hand leading her back down the stairs to the middle of the living room. Sky spotted a blond sitting on Leon's lap intently listening to him. Blood rushed to her face and the room felt hot. "I need a beer." She snatched one of Vince's beers and grinded her body against Troy while downing the liquid.  
  
"Hey." Vince yelled. "That was my beer."  
  
"Gone now. Get another." Her tongue slipped across her lips. "Damn that was good."  
  
Dom was having one hell of a night. He had to hide his car. While running from the cops he ran into the white boy and then Tran blew up the car that he had just won. To his disappointment no one from the team had bother to call to see if he needed a ride. He had to share a cab with Brian back to his place. The party was going strong by the time they arrived at the house. As a thank you, he invited Brian in for a beer. Dom's temper exploded when he walked in the door and no one noticed. He knocked the beer out of Leon's hand and headed right at Vince. "That your beer?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
Dom walked off with two of Vince's beers and turned his focus to another member of the team, "Yo Einstein take that shit upstairs. You can't detail a car with the hood on. Can't even get that right."  
  
It pissed Sky off the way he talked to Jesse, "Leave off of him Dom."  
  
"Not now Sky."  
  
"Don't give him shit cause you can't dial a telephone. All you had to do was call somebody and we'd of come got your ass."  
  
Letty grabbed Dom's arm, "You alright?"  
  
"Am I alright? Am I alright?"  
  
"It was just a question."  
  
Vince saw Brian walk in the door and went off, "Why'd ya bring the buster here?"  
  
"Cause the buster kept me out of handcuffs. He didn't just run back to the fort. The buster brought me back."  
  
Dom handed Brian one of the beers, "Enjoy that it's Vince's".  
  
Brian excused himself to the bathroom leaving the team to deal with the situation. "He ain't got no call being up in here. You don't know that fool for shit."  
  
"Vince there was a time I didn't know you."  
  
"That was the third grade." Vince gave Dom a light push.  
  
Letty enticed Dom into leaving the party a little early. Sky watched as Vince, Jesse, and Leon circled in on Brian. She was sort of looking forward to seeing someone get their ass kicked. Might as well be the white boy. In the nick of time, Mia saved the pretty boy from the gang.  
  
"Ah Mia we were just about to get along." Leon was unhappy to miss his chance to pound Brian.  
  
At 3am it was time to end the party. Sky was the only member of the team still awake. She pushed out the few stragglers including Troy. She broke it to him that no matter what he said she still didn't want to see him again. He accepted it and left. The house was a complete mess. It was her turn to clean it up. She grabbed the garbage can out of the kitchen. By the time she was done the can was completely full of bottles.  
  
After taking out the trash she started turning out the lights. She noticed a light on down in the basement and went down to see which one. Lying on the floor next to his bedroom floor was Leon covered in his own vomit. She helped him up and guided him to the bathroom. As soon as she stepped inside of the bathroom he puked on her. "Ah Leon couldn't you wait until you got to the toilet?" She pushed him down on his knees in front of the toilet. "Stay here while I get you some clean clothes." The door to his bedroom was locked. No matter how hard she banged no one answered. "Deal with that later." She grabbed a pair of Vince's clean boxers from his drawer and went back to take care of Leon. He hadn't moved from the spot she left him. In his state it was difficult to get him into the shower to wash off the vomit. Sky had to get in with him to make sure he didn't fall.  
  
There was nowhere to put him but her bed. Leon fought her until she got him under the covers. He didn't want to go to bed he kept telling her. Sky sat on the edge of the bed and stroked his hair until he was asleep. Softly she crept out of the room. She turned the light off on her way out.  
  
Time to clean up after Leon. The stench of the vomit caused her to wretch and gag. Her stomach was not very strong. She tied a towel around her face covering her mouth and nose. Somehow she got the job done, but not before throwing up herself. She at least made it to the bathroom.  
  
The door to Leon's room opened when she came out of the bathroom. The blond girl who was sitting on Leon's lap earlier stumbled out into the hallway with the sheet wrapped around her. Sky took the opportunity for a little fun. She told the girl that Leon was waiting for her in the kitchen. They walked up the stairs together. When they reached the kitchen, Sky ripped the sheet away from the girl and threw her out. Sky locked the door and headed back down to the bedroom.  
  
It was filthy beyond anything she could've imagined. Leon needed a full- time maid. Sky decided she would have to be his maid just this once. She gathered up his dirty clothes from the floor and the sheets from his bed and started the laundry. She vacuumed and dusted every surface. On the floor Sky found the necklace she broke on the night Leon cheated. She slipped it into her pocket and left the room satisfied with the cleaning job.  
  
"Jesse. Jesse." Her finger rubbed along the bridge of his nose. "Jesse. Wake up."  
  
"Urr. What you need Sky?"  
  
"Need you to help me with something." 


	42. Closure

Chapter 42  
  
"Jesse we're going for a ride. There's been something I've wanted to take care of since I got back and today's the day."  
  
Jess looked over at the alarm clock that read 6:00 am. "Can it wait a few more hours?"  
  
"No but you can sleep on the way there. Please Jess I can't do this without you."  
  
"Yeah yeah. Let's go." He pulled off his covers and slipped into his jeans. They walked quietly through the house trying not to wake a member of the team. "Since your car is blocked in are we taking my car?"  
  
"Nope. We're taking my bike." She walked over to the bike and handed Jess her spare helmet. He shrugged his shoulders and slipped the helmet onto his head. Sky started the engine and waited for Jess to climb on before taking off with a jolt. The streets were empty allowing them to reach speeds in excess of 100mph. Jess held tightly to Sky's hips as she weaved through the city streets. They arrived at a small truck rental store. Sky killed the engine and slipped off the bike. "Jess you got your license with you?"  
  
"Yes. You want me to drive the truck?"  
  
"Uh huh. I still don't have a valid driver's license. In all actuality I am still a missing person."  
  
Jess looked at her stunned, "What? I thought you took care of that. You've been back for almost a year and you haven't gone to the police to straighten it out?"  
  
"Never found the time and now my fake New York license is expired. I promise that I'll go to the police station when we get to where we're going. Got to go there anyway."  
  
Jess shook his head at her, "Sometimes I wonder about you. Where are we going?"  
  
"To tie up some loose ends and do a good deed for a change."  
  
"That's not a where."  
  
"I know but I'll tell you when we get closer. I'm afraid if I say it out loud I won't go through with it."  
  
"Alright then. What size truck do you need?" He walked into the office and rented the medium size truck Sky had picked out. She figured it would be big enough for everything she needed to move. Jess followed her out of the lot and onto the highway. With the roads being empty it didn't take long to arrive at their destination. Sky pulled the bike up into the driveway. She pulled the keys out of her pocket, keys she had taken from Leon room. He had replaced the door and frame she had broken on her last visit to this house. Sky walked into the kitchen and paused to look around at all her mother's things still sitting on the shelves. She could almost see her mother standing at the sink washing dishes. Shaking herself from the vision she grabbed the keys to the garage and headed back outside. "Hey can you give me a hand with the ladder?"  
  
Jess nodded his head and helped her open the garage door. They retrieved the ladder and placed it against the house extended to the second floor. "Jess take a crowbar and remove the boards on the first floor. I'll work on the second. We won't be able to work in the house until we can vent it. The place is way too dusty and dark."  
  
"Sure thing Sky. Just one question. Is this the house?"  
  
"Yes. This is the house I grew up in. That's Leon's old house across the street."  
  
"Ok one more question. Why are we doing this alone? Wouldn't it have been easier with the team?"  
  
"No. I couldn't ask either Vince or Leon to come here. Not fair to bring up all those memories for them. Dom, Mia, and Letty need to open the garage and store. So that leaves just us."  
  
Jess took that as the best answer he would get from her and went to work on removing the boards from the first floor windows. He didn't understand what they were doing there and wanted to call Leon, but feared it would only make matters worse. Sky was determined to take care of this on her own so he needed to support her.  
  
Breaking loose the boards brought Sky to tears. She wiped them as they formed in her eyes not wanting to let this get the best of her. The house needed to be emptied. There was no other way to put the memory of that night to rest. Time stood still in the house since that night. For her to accept what happened to her mom the house needed to be open once again, to have the breeze blow through. She worked furiously on the windows and had the second floor completed within an hour. Dropping to the ground her feet carried her quickly into the house to the second floor. Light greeted her. She flung open every window and let the air in.  
  
After a few minutes she headed back down the stairs to open the windows on the first floor. Once light flooded the room she saw her dad's chair clearly. She pulled it in the backyard through the kitchen. She remembered the ax that hung in the garage near where the ladder had been. The ax felt good in her hands. She had only one purpose, to destroy the chair. With a scream she struck the first blow splitting the back of the chair. She pulled the ax high above her head and let it fall again into the chair. Jesse hearing her screams came running around the house. He found her pulverizing the chair. His arms encircled her. The ax dropped from her hands as she collapsed. Her chest heaving with each quick breath. "Let me call someone Sky." Jesse pleaded with her.  
  
"No. Need to get this done on my own."  
  
"What are we doing here?" Jess looked down at her with concern in his eyes fearing she would slip away from him mentally at any moment.  
  
"I'm giving the house away. I have to clean it out by three today so the cleaning service and painters can come in."  
  
The thought she would just give the house away was beyond what he could comprehend, "What?"  
  
"My mom would have wanted it this way. Everything I don't want is being donated to a women's crisis center. The house is going to a woman and her two daughters. The woman's husband nearly beat her to death. The center helped her get away, but she needs a permanent home and a fresh start. I'm going to have the house furnished and handed over to her tomorrow."  
  
"Sky this is your house though. Are you sure you want to just give it away?"  
  
"This hasn't been my house since my mom died. It doesn't mean anything to me anymore. I have everything I need back in L.A."  
  
"If you are sure then I guess we should get packing. Where do you want to start?"  
  
"The second floor."  
  
Jesse took Sky's hand in his and walked with her up to the second floor. He asked her which room she would like to begin in and she pointed to hers. They setup a large box and labeled it donations. Jesse stripped her bed putting the bedding into the box neatly while Sky emptied her clothes out of the closet including her dance costumes.  
  
"Someone was a good dancer from all these trophies." He said holding one in his hand that read first place.  
  
All she could do was laugh, "Good. I don't know about that. To be honest I hated dancing. It was a deal with my mother that got me into all those competitions. I was always a tomboy, not girly at all. My mother made a deal with me. She said if I enrolled in dance class she wouldn't force me to be ladylike any other time."  
  
"But look at all these trophies. You couldn't have been too bad."  
  
"I won them for her. It made her happy, but I guess you're right. I wasn't too bad. Leon used to tease me about the dancing though and made me hate dancing. Typical boy. I got him back though. I made him rehearse with me a lot."  
  
"Did you make him wear tight?" Jess thought he could use it to blackmail him later.  
  
"Nah. But I think my mom had a very incriminating tape of him. Have to look for it."  
  
The trophies were wrapped carefully and put in a box labeled to go to the truck. Out of the room Sky took only her photos, the trophies, the beach bag from her 16th birthday, and the presents left under her bed from that same birthday. The rest went to the donation box or the trash. They moved to her parents' bedroom where most of the things went to the donations with the exception of her mother's cedar chest and photos.  
  
By the time they finished packing the house sadly most of boxes were for donation. A large part of her life fit into the back of a medium size rental truck. They sat on the porch waiting for the men from the center to come and pick up the things she didn't want anymore. "See that window up there Jess, the one directly across from mine? That was Leon's room."  
  
"He could see directly into your room? Didn't you worry that he was watching you when you changed?"  
  
"Never thought about that. That's kind of creepy. Anyways when my dad would mess me up pretty bad I used to climb down the trestle, cross the street and climb into Leon's window. He always left it unlocked for me."  
  
"How did you get up to his window? I can't see anywhere to climb."  
  
"Oh simple. I'd climb up the porch support and jump."  
  
"That's at least a five foot jump. Did you ever not make it?"  
  
"Yeah once, I broke my leg on impact. Couldn't make the jump for six weeks."  
  
"You still jumped after that?"  
  
"Yes. I'd have done anything to get to him. It was the only place I felt safe. I'd crawl in the window and he'd lift the covers to let me in the bed. For that short span of time I could feel safe. He'd never let anything happen to me."  
  
"Explains a lot."  
  
"What'd ya mean?"  
  
"You know he looked for you all the time. I think he wanted to find you so he could protect you. What changed between you guys?"  
  
"Not sure. Time changes people I guess. He doesn't trust me that's for sure. If I had come back for him sooner maybe things would have been different."  
  
The crisis center truck pulled into the driveway followed by a red sedan. A woman approached Sky and put her hand out, "Hello I'm Ms. Shaw. We spoke on the phone."  
  
She took her hand and shook it, "Yes Ms. Shaw. Nice to finally meet you in person."  
  
"Thank you. Now are you sure you want to go through with this?"  
  
"I am positive. Here are the keys. A cleaning team will be here in an hour to clean up the boards and the house. The painters are scheduled to arrive two hours later. Furniture and appliances will be delivered tomorrow morning. The family should be able to move in by tomorrow afternoon. There will also be gift certificates left to allow the family to personalize the home and buy clothing, food, and essentials."  
  
"Do you still want to remain anonymous? I think that Mrs. Perez and her girls would like to thank you."  
  
"If they really need to know, tell them the donation was made in memory of Maria Flores Thomas. No need for them to feel like they owe me anything. I just want them to be happy and safe."  
  
"If that's what you would like. I want to thank you for everything you are doing for the Perez family and the center."  
  
"If you ever need anything let me know. I am more than happy to help in anyway I can. Good luck Ms. Shaw." Sky and Jesse walked over to the truck and she kissed his lightly on the cheek. "Thank you."  
  
"Don't mention it. Now get on your bike and let's head back to L.A."

"One more stop Jesse. I have to run into the police station and deliver something."

Sky walked in apprehensive of how the officers might act. She walked to the counter, "I am here to deliver my father's uniforms, badge, and service weapon."

The officer behind the counter looked her up and down, "Name?"

"Mine or my father's?"

"Both."

"My name is Skylar Elizabeth Thomas. My father's name was James."

The officer sat up straight and picked up the phone on her desk, "Sargent, I need to see you at the front desk immediatly."

Her father's old partner came out to greet her, "Well look who we have here. See you found your way home. I can take you off the list of missing person."

"That's why I'm here. Can you remove me from the list so I can get my driver's license?"

"Sure thing get to it right now. It is nice to see you again Sky. I did worry about you."

"I'm fine now. I just came to drop off my father's things. The house is being occupied tomorrow."

* * *

The highway was much more congested on the ride back home. It took them twice as long to return. To her amazement Leon was still asleep in her bed. Sky whispered to Jess to be quiet bringing in her things. No matter how much noise they made accidentally Leon didn't budge from his position.  
  
When Jess got her back into the hallway he had to ask, "What's he doing in your bed?"  
  
"It's not what it looks like. I found him passed out in the basement hallway. His girl for the night had locked him out so I brought him up here."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Come on let's take the truck back."

* * *

Leon woke up to find himself in unusual surroundings. The room was clean and smelled sweet like clean laundry. It took a moment for him to realize it was Sky's room. He lifted the covers to see what he was wearing. He noticed that the boxers were not his and way too big. Try as he could the events of the night escaped him. Time to get out of the room before anyone else saw him there. He moved so fast around the bed that he stubbed his toe on a cedar chest. While cursing loudly he tried to remember if he had seen it before. No time for that. He hobbled out of the room and down to the basement. When he opened his own door he couldn't believe what he was seeing. The room was cleaner than the day he moved into it. No clothes or used condoms littered the floor. Nothing could explain the transformation his room had. He threw on some clean clothes from out of his drawer and decided to find someone with answers.  
  
Most of the cars were missing from the house except Jesse and Sky's car, but her bike was missing. He hopped in his car and headed towards the garage. On the way he spotted something that caused him to swerve his car across two lanes and into a parking lot, the tattoo man from Sky's New York picture. He flung open his door and was on top of the guy beating the hell out of him in a flash. A woman came from behind Leon and started beating him over the head with a very heavy purse. After about 10 hits to the head he released his grip on the guy. "Look lady I don't hit women, but if you hit me with that damn purse one more time I'm gonna knock your ass out."  
  
"Like hell you are." The bloodied man spit while trying to get to his feet. "What the hell do you want? Take my money or car, but leave her out of it."  
  
Leon for a moment thought he just attacked an innocent man. "I don't want you damn money. Your name is Razor right?"  
  
"That's what I go by why?"  
  
"Then you deserved that beating. Why the fuck did you take her to that place if you knew what kind of guy Simon was?" Leon turned to go. "I should've killed you."  
  
"Look man I don't know what the hell you're talking about?"  
  
"Do you need me to jog your memory?" Leon grabbed Raz by the shirt and pounded his fist into his face. "Why'd you let him hurt Sky?"  
  
Raz put his hands up, "Stop I had no choice. I had no choice man. He had a gun to her head and was going to pull the trigger. He'd have killed her if I moved towards her. Don't you think it killed me to watch him rape her?" The word "rape" echoed over and over in Leon's head. She hadn't told him that. She had only told him about the beating. He was left in shock. He allowed Raz to pull away. "I didn't want her to die."  
  
The woman with Raz spoke up, "By the look on you face you didn't know what really happened. I'm sure Sky didn't expect you to ever run into us here. She had her reasons for not telling you. Maybe she feared you'd have this kind of reaction."  
  
Raz wiped the blood from his face, "Look," Raz paused and waited for Leon to give his name. "Leon, I don't know how much she told you. Probably left a few things out so that she didn't hurt you. She always tried to protect the ones she loved. She went back into Simon's business to get me and Takara out."  
  
Leon looked over at the woman, "Does she know you're here? Sky only said that Razor was here."  
  
Takara shook her head, "I saw her a couple of days ago. I've been living down in San Diego. Raz thought it would be the best place for me and our baby." She rubbed her hand across her barely swollen abdomen. "I came up here this weekend to get him. He's moving down there with me. We already told her goodbye. Just stopped here to get supplies for the drive."  
  
Raz got up off the ground and sat inside of his car cleaning up his face. When he finished he shook Leon's had and said there were no hard feeling. He would've done the same thing if he had been in Leon's position. Leon watched them drive away and headed to the gym. He needed to deal with what he knew through the punching bag.

* * *

Sky lay in bed unable to sleep. After hours of staring at the ceiling, she decided to get out of bed and get something to drink. The living room was so dark she could barely make out the path to the kitchen. As she reached the TV a voice startled her. "What are you doing up at this hour?" Leon said from the couch. 


	43. Best Two out of Three

Chapter 43  
  
"What are you up at this hour?" Leon said from the couch. "Got somewhere to go?"  
  
Sky looked over in his direction trying to make out his form in the dark, "Can't sleep." She continued into the kitchen to get a bottle of water and her bike keys. She turned to go back into the living room and noticed him standing in the doorway. "What? No use lying in bed. Going for a ride. Besides why do you care?"  
  
"Just curious."  
  
"Ah ok then. See ya." Sky squeezed past him. A few steps from the door he grabbed hold of her arm.  
  
"You shouldn't be out so late by yourself. Want to go shoot some hoops down at the garage?"  
  
"Leon I can handle myself. I'll be fine. No need to watch over me."  
  
"Come on Sky. Go shoot hoops with me."  
  
"Fine, but we're taking my bike." He had won and she knew it. She was doing just what he wanted her to.  
  
When they reached the bike he grabbed the keys out of her hand and slid onto the bike. He handed her a helmet and gestured for her to get on. With a huff she slipped the helmet, got on back of the bike, and pulled her body close to his. The engine started and they took off through the L.A. streets. Sky leaned her head down on Leon's back and relaxed. The trip to the garage was too short in Sky's opinion. For a split second she was able to forget that her and Leon weren't together. He killed the engine and she slid off the bike. "So much for that" she thought to herself. Leon ran inside to get his basketball while Sky cleared the area around the hoop.  
  
"Ready to get your ass handed to you?" Leon quipped as he came out the door.  
  
"Boy you've never been able to beat me, so what makes you think that tonight will be different?"  
  
"We'll see."  
  
"Let's go. So we making a friendly wager on tonight's game?"  
  
"We can do that. Best two out of three, if I win you have to cook me breakfast, lunch, and dinner for a week." Leon's mouth was watering just thinking about what he would have her make.  
  
Sky laughed out loud, "I hope you've learned to cook cause I'm a picky eater."  
  
"Shut up and check the ball."  
  
Leon made a move towards the inside for a lay-up, but the shot was deflected. "This is going to be easy." Sky popped off. It was her shot. She made a move to the right, set up, and sunk a jump shot. "Better luck next time boy."  
  
"No more talking, play ball." Leon hated when she got the first points of the game. He made his way in for another shot, but she stole the ball in the dribble. Frustration showed on his face. There was no way he was going to let her run past him in basketball. She stood back from the basket dribbling feeling out her next move. With a spin she made a move to the left. Leon caught her around the waist and picked her feet off the ground.  
  
"Foul. Le, basketball is not a full contact sport." She pried at his fingers until he dropped her from his grip.  
  
"Who says? You didn't say there were rules."  
  
"I don't think you want to play no rules basketball with me. I fight dirty."  
  
"Alright. Take your foul shot then."  
  
The first game went to her with a score of 21-15. The second game started off much the same as the first. Sky jumped ahead by 6 points and could taste the victory or was it the banana pancakes she wanted him to cook for her when they got home. In a flash her lead was gone and Leon jumped ahead of her. She was going to have to fight for the second game. She removed her sweat soaked t-shirt and Leon did the same. Her concentration was shot as she watched the beads of sweat roll down his toned stomach.  
  
"Game. I got this one." Leon slapped her on the ass.  
  
"There's still another game and it's mine." She said pushing him away.  
  
In his best impression of a fight announcer Leon yelled, "Let's get it on."  
  
The game was close the whole way. At the end it came down to one play. The score was tied at 19 all. "Let's just call it a tie." Sky whispered to Leon making him think she wasn't sure she could win.  
  
"No we finish this. I'm hungry."  
  
"Ok then have it your way." Sky turned around and lobbed the ball backwards. Leon laughed thinking there was no way in hell the shot would make it. With a swish the shot was nothing but net. "I think that's game baby."  
  
"I don't fucking believe it. How the hell did you?" He was so disgusted he couldn't finish the sentence.  
  
"You always underestimate my athletic skills. Someday you'll learn."  
  
"Underestimate my ass. Where the hell did you pick up that shit?"  
  
"Don't you remember? You taught me that shot like ten years ago. Remember the day those jocks wouldn't leave me alone. They challenged us to a game and we beat their asses. The last shot you told me to lob it backwards and then you dunked it. I just learned to make the shot alone that's all."  
  
"I remember now. Your mouth almost got me in a fight with twenty guys."  
  
"Just can't seem to help myself." She said in between yawns.  
  
"Come on sleepy head. Time to get you to bed."

* * *

Sky sniffed her armpits, "I need a shower so bad. I'm gonna head upstairs to clean up. Thanks for the game."  
  
Leon watched her head for the stairs and then an idea popped into his head, "Hey take your shower downstairs. V won't hear you."  
  
"Nah I can just use the one upstairs. Thanks anyways."  
  
"Hell with that. Get your ass downstairs. If you wake Dom up this early he'll have us all at work and I ain't working on a Sunday."  
  
"Fine. I just got to get some clothes."  
  
"I'll get'em. Go." He pointed in the direction of the basement. "Don't make me tell you twice."  
  
"You better watch it boy. I can take you down."  
  
"Go." He stomped his foot near hers causing her to jump back. She retreated down the stairs figuring it was better not to provoke him this time.

* * *

Leon walked through the unlocked bathroom door to find Sky standing in front of the mirror with the towel wrapped around her waist. He put his hand over his eyes and held the clothes out to her. It was tempting for him to peek, but he thought better of it. Once she grabbed the clothes out of his hand, Leon turned around and left the room. She took a look at the clothes he had brought her, a light purple tank with matching boy shorts. She took a fresh towel and wrapped her hair to allow it to dry. Leon was waiting for her on the other side of the door. She could tell that he taken a shower himself after telling her not to wake Dom when he went up for her clothes. "I'm quieter," was the only explaination he offered.  
  
Sky bounded up the stairs ready to make her way to her bedroom, but stopped dead in her tracks when she reached the top of the stairs. Laid out on the table were two place settings and glasses of orange juice. He pulled out her chair gesturing for her to have a seat. He walked into the kitchen and came back carrying two plates of French toast covered in strawberries and powdered sugar.  
  
"Breakfast is served." Leon sat one plate in front of her.  
  
"Wow. When did you learn to cook like this?"  
  
"I used to cook for me and Jesse when his dad was out of town. Picked up a few things here and there."  
  
"I'm impressed."  
  
"Good." His face became serious. "So am I forgiven?"  
  
"I forgave you a while ago, but that doesn't mean I'll ever forget."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"That doesn't mean I can move past it though. Leon you're the one person who knows me completely. I'm not just going to push you out over your lack of good judgment when it comes to women."  
  
"It was a mistake."  
  
"I know. We both made stupid mistakes. Maybe if I had been honest with you in the first place, you never would've doubted me."  
  
"Now that you've forgiven me I've got to tell you something, but you've got to promise not to blow up."  
  
"I already know what happened. Takara called me. She thought I needed a heads up."  
  
Sky turned her attention to the food in front of her wanting Leon to drop the conversation before the subject of New York came up. She made sure to keep her mouth full so she couldn't talk though she felt Leon's eyes on her the whole time.  
  
"Sky."  
  
"Yes."  
  
"There's a little," he brushed his fingers near her mouth dusting off the powdered sugar. A tingle shot down her spine. "Got it."

After he finished his breakfast he took the plates into the kitchen and cleaned them. Sky walked into the living room and sat down on the couch. The sound of the TV brought her out of the daze she was in. Leon took the seat beside her. As they watched the news together Sky drifted off to sleep. Leon kissed her forehead and pulled her into his lap. She nuzzled her face into his chest. Tightly he held her carrying her down the stairs to his room never taking his eyes off of her face. Gently he slid into bed with her still in his arms and was asleep in minutes.


	44. Love is in the Air

_Sorry for the lack of updates. I've had Internet connection problems and writer's block to deal with. I hope you enjoy. Let me know what you think. I will be adding another chapter soon._

Chapter 44

Mia crept into Leon's room as quiet as she could. Her breath caught in her throat when she saw Sky sound asleep in Leon's arms. For a moment she just stood there staring at them sleeping. They looked so peaceful together. Slowly she backed out of the room and darted up the stairs. In her hurry she nearly knocked Jesse over at the top of the stairs as she bolted past him and continued on to the second floor. She rushed into Dom and Letty's room. Thankfully Letty was alone. Mia grabbed hold of Letty's wrist dragging her out of the room. "You got to see this."

"Where are we going?" Letty dug her heels in and they came to a sudden stop. She hated surprises.

"Come on. We've got to hurry before one of them wakes up." Mia jerked Letty hard pulling her towards the basement. They reached the bedroom and gently opened the door. Mia tiptoed into the room, followed closely by Letty against her will. "Look at them. That's sweet."

"Damn boy must've worked some spell on her cause last time I talked to her she wanted to kill him."

Mia sighed, "I wish a man would work a spell on me."

Letty suppressed a laugh. "Girl you're already under a spell. Tuna Boy got you wrapped up in them big blue eyes."

"No he doesn't." Mia could feel the heat coming from her cheeks. She had hoped no one noticed her feelings for Brian.

"Do you two need something or did you just come to watch us sleep?" Leon called out from the bed scaring the hell out of Mia and Letty.

After regaining her composure Mia told him that they were having a barbeque and that it was his turn to go to the store. Annoyed with the sudden end of his time with Sky, Leon growled. He wiggled his way out of bed leaving Sky to rest.

Sky rolled over onto to the right side of the bed and woke with a start. It took a moment to realize where she was. It was Leon's room and she was alone. She reached for the lamp on the nightstand and light flooded the room. With her hand she shielded her eyes from the bright light. A note on the nightstand caught her attention.

_Hey Girl,_

_You were sleeping so good I couldn't wake you. If you're reading this before 2pm go back to sleep you need your rest. Besides you got a couple of hours before the food's gonna be ready. By the way, I unpacked the boxes in your room and we got a lot to talk about later. I brought you some clothes to put on for barbeque. See ya in a few._

_Leon_

Sky dropped her head back on the pillow. He was taking care of her and she didn't mind one bit. Besides he owed Sky for puking on her in his drunken stupor. She switched the light off and laid her head back on the pillow. She pulled the covers up to her nose. They smelled like Leon. Within minutes she was sound asleep.

The warm hand across her stomach raised her from deep sleep. Sitting straight up in a flash her face was only inches from his. Leon quickly removed his hand from her stomach and scooted down the bed. "Feeling better?"

Sky crossed her arms in front of her chest, "Yeah. Thanks for letting me take over your room."

"Anytime. Why don't you get ready, the food's almost done? Oh and heads up Dom invited Tuna Boy and your cousin took off."

"Oh shit. Just the way I like to start my day. Have you tried to call him?"

"Several times, but I ain't getting an answer. He'll be back after he cools off."

Sky knew it was true. Vince just needed time to think on his own. "V better get us a movie for tonight while he's out and it better not be the Bruce Lee story again."

The team took their seats at the table. Dom took the head of the table with Leon at the other end. Mia and Letty sat to Dom right leaving a seat at the end in case Vince came back in time to eat. Sky sat across from Letty between Jess and Brian. She had the same uneasy feeling she always got when Brian came around. She didn't trust him and he smelled like a cop, but Dom would never believe her without proof. Everyone watched as Jess made a move for the chicken. They breathed a sigh of relief knowing they wouldn't be saying grace. After the Car Gods were thanked properly the feast began.

Brian tensed up as Vince came around the corner. Leon greeted him in his usual manner, "Look who it is, Ol' Coyotes R Us. I thought you weren't hungry, Pumpkin."

"I gotta eat." Vince almost sounded defeated. He sat across from Tuna Boy. Leon, Sky, and Vince all exchanged looks in a non-verbal communication. They made it known to each other that the punk couldn't be trusted and needed to be taken care of.

Leon broke the silence, "Where'd you go? Rent a movie or something?"

"Yeah."

"And it better not be the Bruce Lee story." Sky had seen the movie at least 50 times in the last six months.

"How'd ya guess?" Vince gave her his famous smart-ass grin.

"That's the last time you go to the video store. Always the same damn movie. Can't ya watch something else?"

"Stop complaining. What'd ya have picked?"

"Anything with Brad Pitt." Sky joked.

"Amen." Letty and Mia shouted in unison.

"Especially Fight Club where he's all ripped and sweaty. That man's got a killer body."

"Them abs are tight." Letty said with a devious smile.

Dom had enough of the talk about Brad and his body, "Shut up and eat."

After dinner the team headed to the living room for the movie leaving Brian and Mia alone in the kitchen to clean up the mess.

"Make some popcorn V." Sky asked sweetly from the couch.

"Why don't you go make it?"

"I can't Jess and Leon have me blocked in. Please." Sky watched V get up from the floor and head to the kitchen. She gave Jess a high five. He had really wanted the popcorn, but he knew that Sky would have an easier time of getting it than him.

A snicker caught Mia's attention. Vince made a wise crack about Brian helping with the dishes, but Mia got the last laugh. She invited Brian to dinner on Friday night to the little Cuban restaurant that Vince wanted to take her to. With a hit to the door with his elbow, Vince stormed out of the kitchen and headed for the front door. Sky jumped over Leon's head and chased after Vince. She didn't need him taking off after the amount of alcohol he had drank at dinner. Within feet of his car she caught him. "Don't even think about getting in that car Vincent."

"Don't get in my business Sky. I'm a fucking grown man and I can take care of myself. Leave me the fuck alone."

"To hell with that Vince. Tell me what's going on."

"None of your business."

"Bullshit."

"Mia is taking that punk to Cha Cha Cha's Friday night. I've asked her every day for the last six months and always no. White boy wins her over in a few weeks. I just don't get it."

"V, I never did understand why you're always trying to get Mia. Man she don't wanna be with you that way. Get over it and find someone else."

"Not that easy."

"Sure it is. Whatever happened to Eva? You two were hot and heavy before I ran away." She noticed the grimace on his face with the mention of Eva's name. There was a lot she didn't know about what happened in L.A. while she was in New York. "What's wrong?"

"Eva got married two years ago. To a doctor she met at the hospital. They have a little girl."

"How do you know this?"

"Every now and then I used to drive by her house. When I found out she got married I stopped. I dated a couple of the nurses from her hospital and found out about the kid."

"So you focus you attention on Mia? That doesn't make any sense. Mia doesn't want you. Get over it and move on."

"Fuck off Sky." He pushed off the car and unlocked the doors with the keyless entry.

"You better squash the attitude V. I ain't playing with you. You get in that car I'll kick you ass."

He laughed, "Not on your best day."

Leaping in the air with a spin kick she caught him across the chin. Vince dropped as she landed on her feet. He would have a sore jaw the next morning, but to Sky it was better than him getting killed in a car wreck. The team stood on the porch watching the entire episode. Dom and Leon rushed down to help her get Vince back inside. Once inside she pulled Mia to the side, "Brian is bad news. Understand what I am saying to you. Be careful what you say to him. Our freedom is at stake and I know you don't want your brother to go back to prison." Sky didn't wait for a response and headed up to her room.

A few minutes later Leon appeared in the room. He walked over and lay on the bed next to her. Tears stained her pillow. In her hand was the last picture of her and her mom taken on the day she died.

"I found the roll of film in the bag you took to the beach that day. Thought you would like them developed."

"Thanks." Her voice cracked with sadness and tears.

"Baby I'd have cleaned the house out for you. Why'd you put yourself through that?"

"It was something I needed to do. I just want to sleep in peace without the dreams. Just one night of happiness, I thought if there was laughter in the house again the nightmares would disappear. But all I really needed was to be with you. In your arms I had the best sleep I've ever had. I found my peace."

"My arms are always there when you need them." Leon rolled onto his back and pulled her closer to him. She laid her head on his chest and let the sleep take hold of her body.


	45. Ever Watchful Eyes

Chapter 45

The lights glared from the unmarked police car tailing him. Brian shook his head and pulled to the side of the road. "Turn the engine off and step out of the vehicle with your hands up." The officer instructed.

"What I do?" Brian asked as he walked backwards toward the tail end of the truck.

"Shut up and put your hands on the tailgate." The officer accentuated his point by pushing Brian up against the truck. He patted Brian down and slapped on the cuffs tight. "Let's go punk." The officer led Brian to the back of the unmarked car laughing. "You know the drill. Get in."

Brian slid into the back of the car and threw his head back. It was going to be a long day.

The car pulled up to a house in the Hollywood Hills. The two officers got out of the car and helped Brian out. "Get these cuffs off. Hughes why'd you have to put them on so tight?"

Sergeant Tanner answered for him, "It needed to be realistic Brian. You never know who might be watching." Tanner led them through the gate and into the pool area.

"This is better than the last house you confiscated." Brian said taking a look around.

"Eddie Fischer built it for Elizabeth Taylor in the 50s."

Brian looked back at Hughes who was suppressing a laugh, "See even the cops are Hollywood in Hollywood."

As soon as Brian crossed the threshold into the house the head FBI agent, Bilkens, was on his ass, "That was an $80,000 car O'Conner."

"Send the bill to Johnny Tran. I didn't blow it up."

"Don't get smart with me kid. I could have you back shuffling papers in the evidence room like that." Bilkens snapped his fingers in Brian's face.

"Sorry sir."

"That's better. What intel were you able to get over your weekend in Toretto's world?"

"The only illegal action I observed was the street racing. None of the Toretto cars use the same tires as the thieves. From the look of the cars at the races it could be any number of people. In my opinion we should be focusing on Johnny Tran. He has the ability to pull off this caliber of job."

Bilkens slammed his fist down on the table, "When I want your opinion I'll ask for it. Tell me about the members of Toretto's team."

"Vince is Dom's closest friend. He's dumber than a box of rocks, all muscle no brain. Leon is an electronic wiz and runs the scanners for the races. This way they stay one step ahead of the cops. The kid Jesse can tell you everything wrong with your car just by listening to it. I didn't get much of a read on the women of the team, especially the one they call Sky. She doesn't trust me and I swear she wants to gut me. Not the type of girl you turn you back on unless you want a knife there."

"We are aware of Miss Skylar Thomas. We had an agent on her and she made him within a few dates. Stay away from her if possible. She'll blow your cover and the whole investigation is over. I want you to talk with the agent we had on an unrelated case involving Miss Thomas. He'll brief you on what went wrong during his undercover assignment. Is there anything else that you need before you get back?"

"Yeah a new car."

After delivering the busted Toyota Supra to a very happy Jesse, Brian headed back to the Racer's Edge to get some work done. Harry was not too pleased to see him back in the shop. It made Harry nervous to have a cop around his shop. Even undercover Brian could scare off some of his best clients. Brian asked too many questions. Brian moved behind the counter smiling at the new counter girl. His focus shifted to the front of the store as Hector's crew walked in.

After work Brian decided to do some investigative work around the garages of a few racing groups. He checked over fifteen garages and each time came up with no hard evidence to pin the robberies on any of the teams. Completely frustrated he almost gave up until he remembered the encounter he had with Hector that morning. Hector had come into Harry's to order engines for three Honda Civics. Brian made a quick u-turn and headed for Hector's garage.

The garage was empty when he pulled into the lot. He cut the engine and snaked his way up to the roof. The scene at the El Gato Negro was poppin'. Hector's crew was putting on a light and sound show for the whole neighborhood to enjoy. Brian took the opportunity to scope out the garage. The three Honda Civics were parked near each other with one on the lift. He pulled back the car cover to discover the tires and the colors didn't match. "Shit. Dead end." Brian was pissed. He knew that if he didn't crack the case soon Bilkens would have him back on desk duty. He became a cop to make a difference, to chase down bad guys not push papers. With no leads from the garage he made his exit.

Sliding down the drainpipe he didn't see the baseball bat coming at him. Everything went black.

Brian lay in a heap at Sky's feet, the bat still in her hand. "Hope that hurt pig." Sky looked back at Leon with a huge smile on her face.

Leon shook his head. "I told you to knock him out, not kill him."

"What?" She said sheepishly. "I didn't hit him that hard. He's just weak."

"Yeah." Leon walked over to Brian and lifted him up by the collar of his jacket. They stuffed Brian into the passenger seat of the Skyline. Leon pulled out of the driveway followed by Sky in the Racer's Edge delivery truck. They drove to Harry's and parked the truck in the back. Sky slipped into the backseat of the Skyline. "You ready for this baby?" Leon looked into the rearview mirror his eyes connecting with hers. "You can back out if you think that something will go wrong."

"I got this. Don't worry so much Leon. I've stolen a car before."

"Anything goes wrong or you get a bad feeling I want you outta there."

"I promise that I'll be careful."

The car veered back onto the road and they raced off into the night. Within 15 minutes they found the targeted car. Leon listened to the scanners to get the all clear. No patrol cars were in the vicinity. Against his better judgment he let Sky out of the car and helped her get Brian out. Leon drove away leaving her to deal with waking the unconscious Tuna Boy. She pulled her hand back and brought it down with force on the right side of Brian's face. "Wake up. We got work to do."

Brian was reeling from the pain in the back of his head along with the new pain on the side of his face. He had never hit a woman before but Sky was asking for it. He made a move to sweep her legs. Pop he felt the hard bone of her knee on his nose. She had seen his move and countered. He let out a tirade of four letter words that would have made a mobster blush. "Brian shut the fuck up before you wake the dead. You sound like a little bitch."

"Why'd ya hit me?"

"You wanna tell me what you were doing in Hector's garage uninvited."

"Race Wars. Wanted to get info on what Hector's running. I needed to help Dom."

"Bullshit. Brian we know what Hector's running, known that shit all day. I know for a fact that Dom would never need someone like you to get info for the team. You smell like a cop. Is that what you are, a fucking cop?"

"Sky I swear that I am not a cop. I was trying to help the team."

"Really well if you're not a cop then you won't have a problem with helping me with a small job."

"Whatever you need girl I'll do it." Brian was sweating. His heart was racing a million miles per hour. The girl had just made him and he needed to talk his way out of it. Troy had warned him about her, but he had no idea she was that good at figuring people out. "Anything for the team."

"See that NSX over there?" Sky pointed to a Candy Green Acura NSX parked alone under the streetlight. Brian nodded his head. "Steal it."

"What?" Panic pulsed through his entire body.

"Your rap sheet said you stole cars right. Well let's see it then."

Brian had never stolen a car in his life. That was his best friend Roman's part of the deal. Roman would steal them and Brian would help get rid of them. That was along time ago before he had turned his back on Roman for the police force. Brian needed to get himself out this mess, "I don't have any tools." Sky threw him a small pouch of various tools used by thieves. With no more options he walked across the street to try to get into the car.

Seconds later the alarm blasted from the car. Sky bolted across the street. She only had 30 seconds before the cops would be on her tail. Quickly she disabled the alarm and screamed for Brian to get in. "You suck Brian," were the only words she got out before the red and blue lights began to appear. She threw the car into gear fleeing the cops coming in from all directions. A few cars took up the chase, but were no match for the Acura. Sky slid the car into a parking garage. She ordered Brian out of the car at gunpoint. Out from behind the support columns of the garage stepped Vince and Dom.


	46. Judgement Call

Chapter 46

The cellphone in Sky's pocket rang. "Sup?" She spat out casually. The voice on the other end of the line sounded annoyed. "Yo I'm sorry about that. I had a rookie with me. Told you I was putting him to the test and he failed miserably. What did you say to the cops?"

Anyone standing within 50ft of Sky could hear the person screaming about having to talk to the cops, "What do you think I told them? They were here for an hour. You owe me big time."

"Ronnie, man I apologize. Is there anyway I can make this up to you?"

"Yeah hit me up with a new exhaust and a set of rims. Then we're even."

"Got ya. Exhaust and a set of rims. No problem." Sky shot an evil gaze at Dom. "Boy let me get off of here and I'll shout at you in the morning." She hung up the phone and made her way over to Brian's side. "Fuckin amateur." Sky took the opportunity to smack Brian upside the head one last time before heading for the car. "He's all yours boys. Don't hurt Tuna too bad."

"What the hell is up with the Tuna comments?" Brian felt the need to open his mouth at the most inopportune moment.

Sky stopped in her tracks, "I don't like you and I sure as hell don't trust you. Do you hear me loud and clear Brian? Are ya feeling me? Until you have proved yourself to me and the rest of the team you'll deal with whatever the hell we want to call you." She turned around and went to the car. She could be heard muttering as she got into the car, "Bitch ass punk thinks he has the right to comment back. Boy better learn who the hell he's talking to."

Vince and Dom watched the tail lights fade into the distance before they went after Brian. "You a cop?" Vince asked repeatedly pushing into Brian's face.

"Nah man. I'm not a cop. It's been so long since I boosted a car. Just rusty that's all." Brian's voice was shaky and it took all he had to control his urge to run. He watched as Vince played with the safety on his shotgun.

Dom made a motion for Vince to back down, "Brian I gotta be straight with you. That girl is a great judge of character and if she says you're a cop, I'm inclined to believe her. So convince me that she's wrong on this one."

"I am not a cop Dom. I swear. She has me pegged wrong. What I was doing tonight was for the team. I wanted to prove to you that I was worth a spot on the team. I owe you so much man. You have to understand. I want your respect."

Vince didn't believe the shit the boy was saying, "He's a cop, a fucking cop. Can't you see it? Don't tell me you're taking this punk's word for it."

Dom was fed up with Vince trying to take the lead and he asserted his alpha male status, "Enough. If I say he's cool, then he's cool. Let's take a little ride." Dom radioed for Jesse to pick them up.

Within a few minutes Jess pulled up in the Jetta, "Where to?"

Dom took shotgun leaving Brian and Vince to take the backseat. "Head to Tran's garage. Brian here has some work to do." Jess was visibly shaken by the order to drive into Tran's turf, but he put the car in first and headed out.

"Out." Dom ordered Vince and Brian out of the car. "Jesse, hide the car and wait for our call. Keep an eye out for Johnny and his gang."

"You got it Dom." Jesse pulled away and drove down the drive to get a better view of incoming traffic.

* * *

Leon waited impatiently for Sky to arrive at DT with the Acura. He had called her cell ten times only to get her voicemail each time. As he headed for his car the door to the garage opened and in came the NSX with Sky behind the wheel. He let out a sigh of relief. "Where have you been?"

Sky got out of the car and leaned against the quarter panel, "Ran into a little trouble getting the car."

"What kind of trouble?" Leon couldn't resist walking over to her and putting his body against hers. His hand moved to the small of her back and under her shirt. "I knew I shouldn't have left you there alone."

With both of her hands she pushed him away, "It wasn't anything I couldn't handle on my own. God Leon you act like I can't handle the smallest shit. I've done this before. Just had to out run a few cops since the punk set off the alarm."

"Look I didn't say you couldn't handle the job, just that you should've had backup. Why do you always got to come off with this attitude? The more time you spend with Letty the more you act like her." He stormed out of the garage and out to his car.

Before Sky could stop him he drove off leaving her to find her own way home. "Asshole."

* * *

Brian searched around the garage looking for anything that would help him pin the truck heists on the Trans. A stack of white and blue boxes caught his attention. In a corner tucked behind a set of shelves was two stacks or DVD player that matched those that were stolen from the trucks, but he knew that was not enough. He kept looking until he noticed the door to the garage beginning to open. Dom yelled for Brian to hide. He ducked behind one of the cars. Across the garage he saw Dom and Vince crouched down. There was no way for him to make it over to them before the doors fully opened. A Lexus sedan followed by eight or nine bikes drove into the garage. Johnny Tran stepped out of the driver's seat of the sedan. A man was pulled out of the back. At once Brian recognized the man as one of the racers from his first race. It was Edwin. They dragged him to the middle of the floor. Tran's cousin Lance kept him there with a loaded semi-automatic weapon pointed at his head.

"Edwin, what am I going to do with you? You owe me a great deal of money. It's time to pay up." Johnny paced in front of Edwin.

"Look like I said I'm a little short right now, but I swear you'll have it. Edwin pays his debts."

"I believe that you are lying to me and I hate liars." Johnny motioned for one of his crew to hold Edwin up. Johnny kicked Edwin hard in the abdomen. "I think we need to renegotiate the terms of our deal. I want information on what Toretto is going to be running at Race Wars."

Edwin caught his breath and forced out his words, "Forget it. I'd rather have you as a enemy than Dominic Toretto."

"Have it your way then." Johnny walked away. He gave his crew the signal to attack Edwin. They each took turns beating and kicking him until he was a bloody mess. "Take him home," Johnny ordered before he and Lance drove out of the garage.

It took everything Dom had not to jump out from behind the cars and kick ass. There were too many of them to fight. He knew that he, Brian, and Vince were significantly outnumbered. They waited until Tran's crew left to radio Jesse to come get them.

* * *

Brian walked into the undercover house to make his report. He was still shaken by what he had seen at Tran's garage the night before. Tanner and Bilkens were waiting in the kitchen for him. Bilkens started in as soon as he turned the corner into the kitchen, "So what'd you got?"

"Toretto's clean as far as I can see. We really should be concentrating our efforts on Tran. I spotted some DVD players that match those stolen from the trucks."

"That's it. Tran has some DVD players so we should just bust in there and arrest him. Is this the best that you can do? Don't come back here until you have hard evidence or you might want to think about a career change."


	47. To the Rescue

Thanks for the reviews. They've all been pretty positive. Hope you enjoy the next chapter.

Chapter 47

Dom told Jess to drop Brian off at Harry's and head home. He then slipped behind the wheel of the RX-7 and drove to check on Edwin. When he arrived he found Edwin leaned up against the front door to the house barely conscious. "Edwin man are you gonna make it or do I need to call 911."

"I'm alright. Just a little on the rough side. What ya doing here?"

"Heard you ran into a little trouble tonight and thought I'd come take a look."

"You know me. Shot my mouth off."

"I heard you had a deal with Tran and you didn't keep up your end of the bargain."

Edwin shook his head, "Let's cut to the chase. You wanna know the deal right? It's the deal you backed out of man. It was too good of an offer to refuse."

"If it was so good then why are you sitting here all busted up?"

"Problem is my cousin Dre got caught bringing the shit across the state line. He lost $500k worth of Tran's shit. Tran got him outta trouble, but he tacked on another $500k for gettin him out. So now I owe him a Mil and ain't got no idea how I'm gonna get it."

"Damn. I told you to stay the fuck away from him. When do you have to have the money by?"

"Got one month to get it together, if not he's taking everything I got including my legs."

* * *

Sky made her way to the behind the shop where her bike was kept under cover. It had been a while since she had a chance to ride it. A thought popped into her head to stay out all night to get back at Leon for leaving her at the shop and she knew just the place to lay low. Razor had left her the keys to his place. No one knew the address but her so she was sure not to be disturbed.

She grabbed a few bottles of water out of the fridge and slid them into her backpack. With her pack secured to the seat she moved onto the bike and let the engine roar to life. There was something about the wind all around her that made her feel free even when Simon made her world spin out of control the bike would be her freedom. Now that her problem was Leon's overprotective grasp she needed to escape once more into the air. She wasn't sure what made her angrier, his constant questioning or the fact that he thought she wasn't capable of handling herself. Her mind distracted by thoughts of him caused her to miss her turn. Like an amateur she looked back at the street. The handlebar slipped out of her grip and the bike went down.

"Shit." Thankfully she had been wearing her leather pants and had no injuries other than her bruised ego. The bike was not as fortunate. The left fairing was scraped and cracked beyond repair. It was too dark on the street to estimate further damage. She pushed the bike back around the corner and up the driveway. The house seemed to bring her bad luck. That was the second time she wrecked on the way there. The team was never going to let her live it down.

Eerie silence greeted her. It had been months since anyone had been in the place and it showed. A thin layer of dust covered most surfaces. No matter. The only room she wanted to be in was in the basement. She stripped off her jacket and wifebeater discarding them on the bed. With a band she found on the dresser she secured her hair in a messy bun. Her steps echoed through the house as she made her way to the basement. She flicked on the switch. The overhead lights stung her eyes. A black punching bag hung from a chain in the center of the room. Punch after punch her taped hands connected with the bag. Each punch was harder than the last.

* * *

Leon pulled into the driveway of the house. He pulled the emergency brake and reached to shut off the engine. Part of him wanted to race back to the garage to get her, but the other part couldn't handle her attitude any longer. Leon knew that he had made a mistake cheating on Sky. He just didn't want to pay for it for the rest of his life. Sky had turned into Dr. Jekyll and Miss Hyde. One minute she wanted to be in his arms the next she was jumping down his throat for being overprotective. Not wanting to deal with Letty and Mia's questions as to Sky's whereabouts Leon reversed the car and headed to a nearby hotel to spend the night.

* * *

Sweat rolled from her brow. Her arms were exhausted, yet she kept pounding the bag. A creak of the boards above her head caught her attention. Moving fast she went for the 9mm tucked under some newspapers in the corner. She cocked the gun and switched off the safety. Creeping up the stairs she caught a glimpse of a large man. With the lights off she couldn't make out any of his features. She decided to get a shot off before the guy had a chance to come at her. The man shined a flashlight into her eyes as she got the shot off. The light threw her aim off and the bullet missed the guy by a few inches.

"What the fuck are you doing?" The man growled as he switched on the lamp.

"Shit Dom what the fuck are you doing sneaking up on me like that?"

"You didn't come home."

"I'm a grown woman Dom. I don't have a curfew."

"Bullshit." Dom yelled with anger in his voice. "In case you forgot some of us care what the hell happens to you. Whether you like it or not I'll always check up on you. You're like a sister to me and I won't just let you go off without at least letting someone know where you are."

"Dom don't treat me like some little girl alright. I can handle myself. What the hell is up with you guys thinking you have to hold my hand? Don't want to let me go anywhere without an escort."

"Shut the fuck up. There's that attitude again." He walked over and grabbed her face in his hands. "Enough with the bad ass act. Sky I love you like a sister and I'm telling you for your own good that if you keep this shit up every person that cares about you will disappear from your life. Damn girl, you push everyone away."

"Who are you to tell me how to act?" She pushed his hands away and walked towards the living room.

"I know what happened in New York." His words caused Sky to pause. "Me and Leon had a talk a couple nights ago and he told me what happened."

"What are you talking about Dom?"

Dom swallowed hard fighting back tears, "The guy that came with you from New York."

"Razor?"

"Yeah. He told Leon what Simon did to you. Leon came to me cause he didn't know how to help you."

Sky turned and faced Dom, "What? Oh my God. Leon knows? Who else knows?"

"Just Leon and me, I told him to keep it just between us."

"That's why he has been so nice to me. He feels sorry for me. Poor little Sky got raped and she needs to be taken care of."

"It's not like that and you know it." Dom made his way to her side and put his hand on shoulder.

She brushed his hand away. "Get the fuck away from me. I don't need your pity." Struggling to hold back tears she shoved hard against his chest, but Dom was unmovable. Not matter how hard she pushed he stood strong until she collapsed into his arms sobbing. "Why?" was the only word to escape her lips.

Dom sat against the wall and held her until her crying stopped. "No more running away Sky. Let's get home before Letty thinks I'm screwing around."

Sky laughed thinking of Letty waiting at the door ready to take Dom's head off for being out all night.

"What you think that's funny? I'll show you funny." He flung her over his shoulder and slipped off her right boot. "If I remember right you are ticklish on your feet."

"No Dom don't. The last time you tickled my feet I wet myself."

"Exactly." He reached down and grabbed her foot holding it firmly with one hand and tickling with the other.

"Stop," Sky screamed in between howls of laughter. "I'm serious. You're gonna make me pee."

"I'll stop if you promise not to be such a bitch anymore."

"I promise, just please stop tickling my foot."

He flung her down on the couch and threw her boot at her, "You need to spray that thing. You're feet stink." He said waving his hand in front of his face.

"You've done it now." In one quick motion she pounced on him knocking him to the ground. "Watching wrestling with Jesse is really paying off."

"Oh yeah?" Before she could capitalize on her position he flipped her over and pinned her to the floor. "Better learn some new moves sweetheart."

"Fucker. Let me up. You win. Let's go home."

"Thought you'd see things my way."


	48. Divide and Conquer

Chapter 48

The blinking neon sign read vacancy. Leon pulled into the parking lot of the rundown motel seeking a little peace and quiet for the night. He got out of his car and set the alarm to be on the safe side. He really didn't need some stupid kid making off with his wheels. In the center of the one level motel sat a small office. He rang the bell and waited for a few minutes before the elderly manager made her way to the counter, "May I help you?"

"Yes ma'am I need a room."

"Do you need that on the hourly basis or for the night?" The woman said while looking him over.

"For the night please." Leon always remembered his manners with the elderly woman. She reminded him of his own grandmother.

"So sweet young man, we don't see many like you in here. I have room 108 available, out the door and to the right."

After signing the registration, he took the key from the manager and headed for his room. The room was modestly decorated with furniture from the 1960s and the air conditioner sounded like it was about to quit at anytime, but it would do for the night. He stripped down to his boxers and slid into the worn sheets. The flashing neon sign faded as sleep came fast.

* * *

Just as Dom had expected, Letty was waiting at the door when he came home. "Which bitch were you fucking tonight?"

He shook his head and prepared for the all night fight, "How many times do I have to tell you that I ain't with nobody but you? Damn Letty you got to lay off me. If I'm not glued to you ass I'm fucking around."

Sky walked in the door and did her best to get him out of the sticky situation, "Let...girl. He had to come rescue me again. I laid my bike down."

Her anger turned to concern, "Damn you alright?"

"Yeah just a bruised ego. Where's Leon? I need to talk to him."

"He didn't come home. I thought he was with you."

Sky bowed her head and walked up the stairs without commenting. All of her complaining had pushed him away again. It took everything she had not to run to her room and cry. Things were not going the way she had hoped and it looked like there was no hope of fixing the broken relationship.

The morning light brought an end to an uneasy night for many in the team. Sky wondered where Leon was and more importantly who he was with. She regretted going off on him. In her mind it was probably too late to fix things. At 5am with no luck falling asleep, Sky pulled herself out of bed and jumped into the shower. Noticing that the team was still asleep, she slipped out of the house and headed to work.

Dom and Letty had argued most of the night before making up the way they always did. Mia didn't get much rest listening to them go at it, not like she slept much lately. Every time she laid her head on the pillow Brian filled her thoughts. She heard Sky fire up her car and take off. She slid out of her bed happy hoping to see Brian at the store later for lunch.

Vince was sure that Brian was a cop and it pissed him off that Dominic believed the punk over him. He pulled the covers off and stomped to the bathroom wanting to get a hot shower to wake him up. Unfortunately, He was the last to rise from bed and all that was left after the three women of the team took their showers was ice cold water. He decided to forgo the shower and make them suffer from the smell of his dirty armpits.

* * *

Jess and Leon were hard at work on the engine to the Supra when Sky pulled into the bay of the garage. Jess greeted her, but Leon didn't even look up from the piece he was working on. She took that as a sign to not even bother trying to smooth things over. Her attention needed to be on her car anyways she told herself. After wheeling a toolbox over to her car she went to work tuning for the upcoming races.

* * *

Friday morning finally rolled around. Mia could barely contain the excitement of her date that night with Brian. The rest of the team was off at the garage working on cars and preparing for the night's heist. Mia had the house to herself for a change. She tried on some twenty outfits until she decided on a dark blue dress that revealed just enough cleavage.

Jesse, Leon, and Letty worked together on the engine of the Supra fine tuning while Dom and Brian worked on getting the car set for the motor. Sky felt like the outsider. Two days had gone by without a word utter between her and Leon. She spent her days quietly working on the customers' cars allowing the rest of the team to concentrate on the Supra in order to have it ready for Race Wars.

"You have plans for tonight?" Dom glared at Brian from inside the engine compartment of the Supra.

"I'm taking her to dinner."

"You break her heart; I'll break your neck."

"That's not going to happen."

"Let's go for a ride."

Brian figured Dom wanted to take him somewhere, kill him, and dump the body, but he went anyway. They took the RX-7. Brian was surprised when they pulled up to the Toretto house. Dom got out and opened the garage door revealing a black Dodge Charger. Brian held his breath as he looked at the car, one of the finest machines to ever come out of Detroit. "900 horse of Detroit muscle," he heard Dom say with pride in his voice. As Dom told the story of his dad's death Brian began to get a better understanding of the man. He felt guilty for deceiving Dom and the team. Brian's lies were starting to eat at him.

* * *

The undercover house was buzzing with activity when Brian showed up for his usual debriefing. Bilkens was in a particularly bad mood and decided Brian made an excellent target for his rage, "So O'Conner did you get anything or are you having too much funscrewing Toretto's sister?"

"Excuse me. For you information, I'm not having sex with anyone and if I was it would be none of your business." Brian countered back.

"Is the kid giving me flack? Doesn't speak much for police FBI relations?" Bilkens directed his questions at Tanner.

Tanner did his best to calm the situation, "Let's take it easy and go over what Intel Brian has gathered. We'll see where we are in the investigation."

"Toretto is not behind the truck jackings. I'm sure of it. I think he knows whose doing it, but I haven't been able to crack him. He doesn't trust many people."

Bilkens' temper began rising, "This is all you have. Didn't I tell you not to come back here unless you had information we could use?"

"Hey look I'm trying my best. If the case was so easy to crack you'd have solved it long ago, so back off and give me a few more days." Brian stood up and walked out of the house. He didn't look back leaving Tanner standing by the pool.

* * *

The restaurant was aglow from the small red candles on each table. It gave the room a romantic feeling. Brian stared at Mia as he sipped his coffee. He set the cup down on the table and went to work on Mia. "So how did the gang come to be?"

"Gang? They don't call themselves a gang. There're a team; they call themselves a team."

"So how did the team come to be?"

"We it's a lot of history." Mia didn't want to spend the rest of her date talking about the team and all of their stuff. She wanted Brian to concentrate on her.

"I got time."

"Well Vince grew up with my brother. Well, he hasn't grown up, but you know what I mean. Letty lived down the street from us. Always into cars since she was ten years old so Dom had her attention and when she turned sixteen she…"

"She had his." Brian finished the sentence for her.

"Funny how that happens."

"What about Jesse, Leon, and Sky?"

"That's even more complicated. Sky, as you know, is Vince's cousin. But it turns out that her and Leon lived across from each other when they were kids. Some bad things happened and they ran away together to L.A., but got separated soon after getting here. Sky was sent away when the cops caught her. A few years later Leon and Jesse showed up on our doorstep and never left."

"That is a lot of history."

"It's like my brother is gravity, everything is pulled to him even you."

"You pulled me in, being friends with you brother is just a perk."

"It feels good to come first for a change. You want to get out of here?"

"Definitely."

* * *

Leon watched as Sky pulled open the sunroof of Letty's car and prepared to fire the spear gun to remove the passenger windshield of the truck. His breath caught in his throat as he waited for her to pull the window and get safely back into her seat. Dom pulled his car up in front of the truck and Letty moved to the side. The scanners were still clear as Vince made the leap onto the truck. The heist went off without a hitch. Leon was ready to stop jacking the trucks. He felt the team was taking too big of a risk continuing. Anyone of them might be killed on the next run. He wasn't so much worried about himself as he was about the people he loved.

"Hey Sky." Leon called out to her as she exited the Civic. "Ride back with me?"

"Sure." Sky slid into his passenger seat.

Alone on the highway he had his chance to talk. "We can't do this anymore."

"Do what?"

"Jacking the trucks, it's too dangerous."

Sky sank down in her seat. She had hope he wanted to mend things not talk about the trucks. "It's Dom's call."

"No. You're risking your life. It's gotta end."

"I can't let the team down. There's only one more job lined up that I know of."

"One more job is one too many."

"Let's not argue about it ok."

Leon pulled the car to the side of the road, "No more arguing if you don't do it anymore."

"Leon you can't ask me to turn my back on the team."

"I'm not. Just have someone else do it."

"There is no one else."

Leon pulled the car back onto the road. The remainder of the ride was silent. When they reached the city limits he reached over and took her hand in his. It was a small gesture, but enough for her. Leon drove them to the garage to spend a few more precious hours making up for lost time.


	49. Happy Beginnings or More Lies?

Chapter 49

Mia drove to her favorite beach and hopped out of the car. Brian followed her to the water's edge. "I love it here; it's so peaceful."

"Yeah it is," he said looking at Mia.

"I've never brought anyone here. This is my place to come and think. No one, not even the team, knows I come here."

Brian moved behind her and slipped his arms around her waist, "I'm glad you wanted to share it with me." He cringed at the cheesy sounding line. Why had he said that? He had meant to say something meaningful instead of the cornball line.

"Can we go back to your place?"

Brian was floored of course he wanted to take her back to his place, "I just have that room in the back of Harry's store."

"That's fine with me."

They drove to the Racer's Edge. Mia smiled innocently, but had wicked thoughts running through her head. Once Brian unlocked the door she pulled him inside and walked him back to the bedroom. Brain was pleasantly surprised by Mia's forwardness. She pushed him down on the bed. Mia stood before him unzipping her dress and let it fall to the floor.

The ringing of the cellphone woke Brian. He grabbed the phone quickly hoping it didn't wake Mia, "Yeah?"

"The highjackers have struck again. We move on Tran at 0900 hours unless you say otherwise."

"Okay." The phone went dead.

Mia peeked over Brian's shoulder, "Who was that?"

"Um Harry. He wants me to do some deliveries for him in a couple of hours."

"I was kinda hoping you would be around the shop later, you know, to work on the Supra."

"I'll be there as soon as I get the deliveries done. I promise."

"Well you better get me home since you have to work."

"Yeah guess you're right."

* * *

Leon pulled the Skyline into the lot and cut the engine. She looked over and questioned him, "What are we doing here?"

"Thought we'd talk a while," he replied staring out the windshield at the darken lot.

"We could've talked at home Leon. What's the deal?"

"No we can't talk at home, not with everyone all up in our shit."

"Whatever." Sky opened her door and stepped out of the car. She walked over to the garage and punched the code to raise the door. Without waiting for Leon to follow she entered the garage.

"God I don't fucking understand her." He pounded his fist on the steering wheel. "What the fuck?" Leon got out of the car slamming the door shut in frustration.

"You purposely trying to fuck up your car a week before Race Wars?" She said popping her head out of the shop.

Leon sighed, "Why do you care?"

"Why wouldn't I?" Feeling like she needed to leave him alone Sky headed back into the shop. She was too tired to fight with him again. Her whole body felt like dead weight. The bench seat in the back looked inviting. She threw herself onto the seat and closed her eyes wishing to fall asleep quickly. A warm hand brushed across her abdomen startling her. She started to rise up from the seat. "Hey."

"Hey." He replied back.

"So what did you want to talk about?"

"Us, look I know I fucked up. Just wanna make it right."

"Really?" Sky's suspensions were up. Guys were known for their pathetic apologies that only went as far as the bedroom. Once they got what they wanted they turned back into their true asshole selves. "No bullshit?"

"No bullshit. I'll do whatever I got to do." He leaned into her and placed his face against hers. His voice cracked as he spoke, "You don't know how sorry I am."

"Damn you know how to break me every time. I wanna be all hard and shit, but you make me feel all warm inside. Damn you. I can't be angry with you, but if it ever happens again we're through. I have to be able to trust you."

"Sky believe me it'll never happen again. Me being with that girl was stupid. I got jealous, thought you we're fucking me over."

"Next time you think I'm fucking around why don't you talk to me before you jump in bed with someone else."

Leon pulled back and looked her in the eyes, "Trust me you're the only woman I want to be with." He took her arms and wrapped them around his neck. Scooping her up, he carried her off to Dom's office. He sat her on the edge of the desk and cleared the desk with one sweeping motion.

"You're cleaning that up later." Sky whispered into Leon's ear.

Leon pulled his jersey off and threw it across the room, "Right."

* * *

Brian decided to sniff around Dom's shop while it was empty. He picked the lock to the front door and slid inside. Tiptoeing through the shop he spied Dom's office and headed in its direction. He heard a noise behind him and spun around to see.

"Yo Tuna what are you doing here?" Sky eyed him. "The shop doesn't open for hours."

Panic raced through his mind, "Work on the Supra."

"Leon and I have that under control. You look a little pale maybe you should go home and get some rest."

"You're right. See you later." Brian walked out of the garage.

* * *

Brian sat at the computer in the undercover house picking at the keyboard. The raid on Tran's house and businesses had provided no new information. Tran was clean. They had nothing more than a few weapons charges that would never make it in a court of law. Johnny's father had bailed them out and Brian was in the hot seat. Bilkens stood behind him stomping around and cursing Brian's name. In his heart Brian knew that the team was behind the heists; he just couldn't bring himself to bust them. They were like his family now. They were the only family that he had.

Bilkens forced Brian to face him, "You have to this Race Wars to crack this case. I don't care if you have to put a gun to somebody's head and blow your cover to smithereens, you got until Sunday or you might want to be thinking about another career."


	50. Tranquility before the Storm

_This is kind of a long chapter. I live in the Midwest and thanks to a large amount of snow I've been stuck inside, so I had plenty of time to write. Enjoy and Happy Holidays to all._

_To greenglowchassis – yes an angst ridden kiss would have fit the scene better too bad I didn't think of that. Guess I just wanted a little sweetness between the Sky and Leon since they've hit a rough patch. Hope you like what I've done with this chapter._

_To everyone else – Those who have reviewed thank you and to everyone else if you get a chance send a review and let me know what you think._

Chapter 50

The hot California sun sent the thermometer to record highs. Dom and Letty had finally made it into the shop around noon. Sky and Leon had by then completed the wiring of the gauges for the Supra and finished off the small amount of engine work that was left. This left the graphics to be placed for the car to be ready for Race Wars and Mia was set to complete that later in the day. The couples split the workload of the shop hoping to complete it faster that way.

Sky headed for the parts room to get a filter and some oil for an Integra she had been assigned to. Within a few seconds Leon followed her into the room. "What do you think you're doing in here?" Sky knew what Leon had on his mind.

"Um…what do I think I'm doing?" He hoisted her up by her waist onto the workbench. "Let's see." He placed his hand on the back of her neck and pulled her into a deep kiss. His free hand wandered up the back of her shirt. With her hands free to do as they pleased she unbuckled his belt and pants and let them slide to the floor. "Not fair." He laughed softly in her ear.

"Who said I had to be fair?" Sky hopped off the bench and headed for the door. As she reached the knob Leon pulled her back into his arms.

"You're not getting away that easy."

After more than an hour of fun and games in the parts room they emerged. Slipping out the room they noticed Dom leaning against an Eclipse with Letty pressed up against him. "You gonna keep me?"

Letty smiled mischievously, "Maybe".

"Maybe, what do you mean maybe?"

Sky looked over her shoulder at Leon and made a gagging gesture. They crouched down on the ground to avoid being seen. "The house is empty. You know what that means?"

Leon looked at her puzzled, "No, what does it mean?"

"Did you leave your brain back in the parts room? We've got the place to ourselves to do whatever we want."

"Let's go." Leon grabbed onto her arm and pulled her out of the shop. As he made it to the door of the shop he turned back to see where Dom and Letty were. He watched as Dom took hold of Letty's ass and lifted her up off the ground. Feeling he had seen enough Leon crept out of the shop and out to his car.

* * *

Brian paced around the living room of his house. He had not meant to go there, but he just couldn't face the team. Too many thoughts ran through his head. His heart belonged to Mia and he respected Dom too much to turn him in. There seemed no way to keep the team out of jail and keep his career. He needed to make a choice that would certainly change his life no matter which side he chose.

Brian jumped into the parts truck and headed for the beach with his surfboard in the bed. When he needed to think he turned to the waves to clear his mind. There was an answer out there he just needed to reach it. There had to be a way to salvage his career and reputation while keeping the woman he loved out of trouble.

After hitting many sets he sat down on the beach to take in the sea air. His watch read 3 o'clock. "Shit." He cursed himself; he had promised to meet Mia at the shop by one. With no time to clean up he jumped into the truck and sped over to the shop.

* * *

As they drove towards the house Leon's attention was less on the road and more on what he and Sky were going to do. "Focus before you get us killed." Sky yelled after Leon almost took out four parked cars.

"It's your fault."

"What the hell did I do?"

"This." He reached over and pulled her closer to him so he could kiss her deeply.

Sky pulled back from his grip, "No no. You have to watch the road. Wouldn't want you to get into an accident; we need you to win some money."

"Come on. Damn."

"Not until we get home baby. I think I like being in control."

"We'll see who's in control when we get home."

The car sped up the driveway and Leon quickly killed the engine. Being on the left side of the car Sky had the advantage of getting to the backdoor first. Unfortunately for her Leon had the legs and caught her just as she unlocked the door. He threw her kicking and screaming over his shoulder and carried her down to his room.

* * *

The shop was deserted when Brian arrived. "Hello, anyone here?"

Out of the office walked Mia carrying the graphics for the car. "You're late, thought you weren't coming."

"The deliveries took longer than I thought they would. You aren't angry with me are you?"

"No Brian I'm not angry with you. You're here just in time to help me."

* * *

The room was quiet and dark. Sky waved her hand in front of Leon's face to be sure he was still sleeping. Assured he was out like a light, she slipped out of bed and wrapped the sheet around her body. Quietly she crept out of the room and out into the hallway where she ran right into Vince. "Um…hey…what's up?"

The anger was apparent on Vince's face, "What's up? Is that all you have to say? What the hell is going on?" His voice boomed in the closed hallway.

Suddenly, an arm wrapped around her waist pulling her back towards the room, "Where do you think you're going?" Leon looked over at Vince, "Sorry dawg couldn't help my self." He turned his attention back to Sky who was struggling in his arms. "I'm not finished with you yet." Over his shoulder he again threw her and marched back into the bedroom. The door closed with a thud.

Vince stood in the hallway half angry and half elated. What could he do? They were going to see each other no matter what his opinion. What better person to be with his cousin than one of his best friends. He knew Leon would protect her. If not Vince would have no problem burying him where no one would find the body.

Dinner time rolled around and the team gathered at the dining room table for another round of Mia's cooking. Most of them had developed an iron stomach able to handle the worst of her kitchen experiments. The night's selections included such delicacies as burnt pork chops and mystery mush that Mia claimed to be a vegetable. Each member spooned a little on their plates and prepared themselves for the taste. Sky made a gesture to Leon that he knew meant that later he would be taking her out for something edible. Letty caught the signal and decided to invite herself.

The team noticed that Dom was particularly quiet. Jess couldn't handle the silence and spoke up to break the mood, "When are you going to test the Supra?"

Dom shook out of his daze and answered, "Whenever Spillner gets over to the shop."

"You mean the fucking pig." Vince popped off.

Dom slammed his fist on the table, "He's clear Vince. We got nothing on him to prove he's a cop. Now let's talk about what's really getting at you. Mia picked him over you. Right V, your ego's been squashed."

Sky came to her cousin's defense, "Dom that's bullshit. V has always had your back and now you're going to pop off and trash him. I don't trust Brian anymore than Vince does and just because we can't find anything on him doesn't mean he ain't a cop. As for Mia picking Blondie over V well we all know her taste in men is lacking."

"Hey wait a minute," Mia spoke up from the end of the table.

Sky laughed, "No don't even try to deny it. We had to put up with Doug. Do y'all remember Doug?" The team all nodded in agreement. "Doug the guy you thought was the next "it" male model turned out to be a deadbeat who still lived with his mom."

"Like I am the only one at this table that has picked a loser," Mia put her elbows on the table and cupped her chin in her hands.

"Not saying that. I'm just saying that sometimes you can be a little naïve."

"Now I'm naïve because I want to date someone other than your cousin."

"Give me a break Mia this is not about Vince. You're bringing in a complete stranger. Thank God we aren't popping anymore trucks so we don't know have to worry about getting caught."

Dom cleared his throat and said the words the whole team was dreading, "There's one more job."

A collective "what?" came from the team.

Dom put on his best salesman act, "One more job came up and it's the big one we had been waiting for."

Vince stood up and walked away from the table followed by Letty, Jesse, and Mia. Leon was about to do the same until Sky spoke up, "Dom do we really need this job?"

"It'd set us up. We could all take a long vacation afterwards."

"When's the job going down?"

"Sunday morning."

"That's during Race Wars." Leon shook his head. "How the hell do we get out of Race Wars? If the team's not there the cops will know something's up."

"We go to Race Wars and leave in the middle of the night when the party's in full swing. No one'll know we've left and we'll be back before the start of the Sunday races."

"I'm in." Sky said getting up from the table. She didn't say another word and headed for Leon's room. He followed her down.

"No baby we can't do this. It's suicide. A morning heist is too risky." Leon tried to reason with her.

"We can't back out on him now. He's counting on us." Deep inside her stomach was turning. Something told her that a member of the team wouldn't make it through the next heist.


	51. Dark Clouds Forming

_Thanks for the reviews._

_greenglowchassis - this chapter gives some more reasons as to why Sky would go through with the heist even with her premonitions. _

_Enjoy the chapter and the introduction of a couple more characters._

Chapter 51

Feeling an argument was brewing between Sky and himself, Leon walked out of the room leaving her without an explanation. When he got to the top of the stairs he confronted Dom who was still sitting at the dining room table, "We're not doing this job. Sky won't tell you no, but I will. It's done."

Dom was in no mood to deal with another member of the team telling him how things were going to go. "How you gonna get up in my face and tell me what you will and will not do? I gave you a place to live and a job without even knowing you. You owe me. As for Sky, she's a big girl and can make her own decisions. If you want to be a pussy and back out then you do that."

"Bullshit. I ain't letting the woman I love risk her life over your greed."

Dom rose out of his chair and slammed Leon into the wall, "My greed? I didn't hear you complaining when we put all those new parts in your car. I didn't hear you complaining when you had money in your pocket."

Leon stood strong not showing fear, "We don't need to jack anymore trucks. We got more money than we'll ever be able to spend. This is about your greed. What's worth more Letty or the cash from this deal? Answer me that. You understand where I'm coming from? Money ain't shit. When I got here I didn't have any and I'll manage without it." He pushed Dom away and walked out the backdoor to his car.

Dom turned around to see Letty standing in the doorway staring at him, "You didn't answer him. Which is more important me or the money?"

"Do you have to ask?"

"Then the job is off."

"Don't put me in this position." He brushed his hand across his head. "Let, you don't seem to get it. Yeah we got a lot of money, but spilt seven ways it ain't shit. We make two mills off this job alone. With that kind of money Mia can go to the best med school, we can upgrade the garage and the store, and maybe everyone can get their own place to give us some privacy."

"You're going to do this no matter what I say?" It wasn't much of a question because Letty knew the answer; she wanted to know how he felt about her.

"Can't pass up this opportunity, baby we'll be set for life."

"If that's the way you feel I'll sleep in Sky's room tonight since I know she'll be in Leon's." She didn't wait for his reply. Over the years she put up with Dom making all the decisions putting everything on the line. It had to be his way or no way. That night was no different. She ran up the stairs. Dom followed into the bedroom. She ignored his pleas for a truce and grabbed clothes to sleep in. He stood in the doorway blocking her exit until he saw the tear fall from her eye and moved to the side.

A knock at the door broke Sky's concentration on the tiles on the ceiling. She wiped the tears from the side of her face and ran to the door, "Leon I'm so…". Standing in front of her was not Leon, but Vince.

"I warned him that if he made you cry again he'd never be seen again." Vince moved toward the stairs.

"Wait." She grabbed hold of his arm and tried to drag him back. "He didn't make me cry. I swear."

"Then what is it?" His voice was raised and filled with anger.

She looked down at her feet, "I've got a bad feeling about this job."

"Explain."

"Something tells me that one of us won't be coming home from this job."

Vince grabbed hold of her arms and dug his fingers into her skin, "Then why the hell did you agree to do it?"

"If I don't go then Dom'll go it alone. He's set on this job and nothing's going to change his mind. You gonna let your best friend commit suicide cause that's what not helping him will be?"

"I'll take care of the job. You're not going." He let go of her arms and at once noticed the marks from his hand. "Shit," he cursed as he ran his fingers across her arms. "I'm sorry."

"V you didn't mean it's fine. I've had worse."

"I know you have. I wish I could wipe that from your memory. You shouldn't have to go through what you have. Every day for the rest of my life I'll wonder what could have been if I had brought your car to you on your birthday." Torrents of tears poured from her eyes. He tried to wipe them away, but there seemed to be no end to the tears. "Princess, I didn't want to make you cry more. Please don't cry anymore." Vince swallowed hard and blinked furiously to keep his own tears from flowing. "Come on and let me put you in bed." He walked her back into the room and helped her get into bed. He sat on the floor next to the bed waiting for her to calm down and fall to sleep.

A cell phone on the nightstand rang out shattering the silence of the room. Vince grabbed it and flipped it open, "Speak."

A woman's voice spoke with desperation, "Is Skylar Thomas there?"

"She's sleeping. Can I take a message?"

"You don't understand. I have to speak with her now. Can you wake her?"

"What's this about?"

The woman became very agitated with Vince's questions, "Look put her on the phone. I need her help. It's a matter of life and death."

"Hold on." Vince shook Sky awake. "Phone, lady says it's a matter of life and death."

Sky grabbed the phone and checked the caller id, "Oh my god. Lois what's wrong? Did he hit you again?"

"Worse he beat the boys. He broke Nick's arm and Caleb'sleft eye isswollen shut."

"I'm on my way. Is he still in the house?"

"Yes he won't leave. He said he's going to kill the boys. You have to get them out of here."

"Be right there." Sky hung up the phone and pulled her boots back on.

"Where are you going?"

"Tell you on the way. I'm going to need you to go with me in case this guy starts something."

"You got it."

Vince and Sky ran through the living room without acknowledging the rest of the team. They jumped into Sky's car and sped down the road. Sky began to explain what was going on, "Do you want the full story or just the cliff notes version?"

"Full story," Vince answered as he watched her weaving in and out of traffic without even stopping for red lights.

"The woman that called is Lois Davison, Leon's mom."

"What?" He looked over at her. "Leon's mom took off years ago, how the hell did she find you?"

"Actually I found her about a month ago. I wanted to help Leon find his mom and help them to rebuild their relationship. I had a friend of mine look her up. Found her in Phoenix living under an assumed name. After she had left Leon with his father, she made her way to Arizona where her family lived. Things went well for a year or so and then Leon's dad found her. They took new names and social security numbers to hide from the cops because Leon's dad is wanted for armed robbery in Nevada. He promised that he had quit drinking and would never hit her again. Of course she fell for his lies. The beatings started after Caleb and Nick were born."

Vince was trying to make sense of the tale, "Leon has brothers."

"Yeah Nick is four and Caleb is two and a half."

"He broke a four year old's arm?"

"Yep, that's why I'm in a hurry to get there before he does more."

"Why haven't you told Leon?"

"Cause he would go to jail for murder. I got her to move to San Bernardino, but he followed her. I've been working on getting Lois to leave again and move to Los Angeles where we can protect her and the boys."

"Why hasn't she accepted your offer?"

"She's afraid that if she leaves that Leon's dad will hunt her down andkill all of her boys including Leon. No matter what happens I'm taking the kids out of there tonight."


	52. History Repeating Itself?

_Six reviews for the last chapter. I am in shock. I also noticed thata few new readers have picked up on the story. That's great. The ideas are flowing faster than I can get them down and so here's another chapter for y'all. Enjoy._

Chapter 52

Testing the limits of her car Sky floored the gas and watched the speedometer race towards 120mph. Her thoughts were on the two precious little boys and their mother. Vince held on tight to the door as she zigzagged in and out of traffic. The laser radar detector and scanner told her the route was clear. The trip usually took around an hour, but she had made it in half the time.

They could hear Lois screaming as soon as they stepped out of the car. Vince wasted no time and kicked the door in. He was unprepared for the scene he rushed into. Leon's dad, Frank, stood in the middle of the room with knife in his hand covered in blood. At his feet, Lois lay with multiple stab wounds begging for her life. Vince rushed at Frank knocking him to the ground. Sky rushed to Lois's side and pulled her out of the house to safety. Seeing that Vince had Frank pinned to the floor she began to search for the boys, "Nicholas, Caleb where are you? Boys come out, it's ok." She began to panic when there was no answer from the boys.

An evil laugh came from Frank, "Them boys done met their maker. All you're gonna find is bodies."

"Shut the fuck up you sick freak." She ran back to the bedroom the boys shared hoping to find them alive. "Oh my God," she screamed upon entering the room. Caleb and Nicholas lie motionless on the floor; their bodies black and blue. Her hands shook as she reached out to touch the boys. She put her ear to Caleb's tiny face and heard the gentle sounds of his breath. He was alive. "Caleb baby open your eyes for Sky. No one is going to hurt you. Just please open your eyes." His eyelids parted slightly and the bright green eyes shown through the swelling and bruises. "Good boy. Now I need you to lie still until help gets here. It'll be real soon I promise."

She moved over to Nicholas and checked for breath. He was also breathing. "Hey Nicky can you hear me?"

"Daddy hit me."

"I know Nicky. Daddy isn't going to hurt you anymore. Everything's going to be ok." Sky took out her cellphone and dialed 911.

The operator answered the call, "911, what's your emergency?"

In that moment Sky knew what it must have been like for Leon to make the call the night her father shot her, "Yes I need an ambulance. A woman has been stabbed and her two sons beaten." Her voice cracked and her eyes filled with tears as she looked at the boys. She had sworn to protect them and had failed. They laid before her battered and broken.

With Frank tied securely to a chair, Vince began to work on Lois. She was covered in blood, but able to breathe on her own. He applied pressure to as many on the wounds as he could. In the distance he heard the sirens approaching. Two ambulances and police sped into the driveway. A crew ran over to stabilize Lois and Vince directed the other crew to the boys' bedroom.

An EMS crew rushed in the room and went to work on the boys. When the crew began to work on them, the boys started screaming. It was all Sky could do to keep from rushing and pulling them into her arms. She wanted to take their pain from them. They were innocent victims caught in a situation that was beyond control. The crew loaded the boys onto stretchers and rushed them into waiting ambulances.

Vince grabbed Sky's keys and motioned her to the car, "Call Jess and have him go find Leon. He needs to know now."

"I should have told him sooner. Maybe things would've been different."

"We don't have time for you to second guess yourself. Make the call."

Sky nervously punched the keys on her phone. Within a few rings Jesse answered, "Hey."

"Jess this is Sky. Is Leon back at the house?"

"Nah, haven't seen him. What'd ya need?"

"A big huge favor, I need you to find him and tell him to get to Loma Linda Medical Center as soon as humanly possible."

"Medical center? Are you alright? Did you have an accident?"

"I'll explain it all to you later just please find him for me."

"I'm on it. I promise I won't let you down."

"Thanks Jesse." She hung up the phone and stared out into the dark night through the passenger window. The image of the boys lying on the floor burned in her mind. The lights of the hospital shown in the distance, the closer they got the faster her heart beat. Vince whipped the car into the lot and killed the engine. "V I need you to stay here in this emergency room and keep tabs on Lois's condition. I'm going to the Children's Hospital with boys. Page me over the intercom if there are any problems."

"Gotcha, now get going."

The boys were screaming and struggling with the doctors when she arrived in the Children's emergency room triage. The nurses asked her to help calm the boys so tests could be performed to discover the extent of their injuries. She took turns talking to the boys promising them everything from ice cream to a big TV if they'd lie still for the doctors. Once the tests were performed the doctor took her into a room in the back to discuss the boys' conditions.

"The younger boy Caleb sustained a skull fracture as well as a small fracture of his left cheek. Both will heal without much treatment, you will need to of course take extra precautions to avoid possible re-injury. Nicholas has a broken arm and concussion. The arm is being casted as we speak. I want to keep both boys overnight for observation and will release them in the morning if they continue to be stable."

"Do you expect this to affect them in any way in the future?"

"I believe they both will recover fully and not have any residual effects from the injuries."

"Thank you so much. Can I stay with them tonight?"

"By all means, they will be placed in the same room and we encourage at least one family member to stay with such young children. Those boys have been through a significant trauma and it would be in their best interest to have a consistent caregiver along with counseling."

"I will do my best to make sure they are kept out of harm's way."

The doctor led her to the casting room where Nicholas was in the process of getting his cast. A nurse brought Caleb to her so that they could all be together. Caleb snuggled up in her arms and played with the ends of her hair just as Leon would do.

* * *

Jess knew right where to look for Leon. There was a club on the Strip where Leon would go to listen to new bands. He knew there was no use calling him on the phone since the club was loud and Leon would never answer. Instead he parked the Jetta near the Skyline and went inside. In a dark corner he spotted Leon chatting with a few guys. "Leon," Jess yelled over the noise of the crowd and the shredding guitar. 

"Get on over here." Leon waved Jess over.

"Look man I got a call from Sky and she was really upset."

Concern washed over his face, "What happened?"

"All she said was that you needed to get to Loma Linda Med Center right away."

"Is she hurt?"

"She wouldn't tell me what was going on."

"Damn it. Look go back to the house and let Dom know that something's up. I'll call the house once I get down there and figure what the hell's going on." Leon bolted out of the club and raced towards I-10.

The hospital lot was empty except for a few cars. He spotted Sky's blue 3000GT parked near the entrance. He parked his car next to it. The first thing to catch his attention was the blood on the door handle.Shock shot down his spine as the automatic doors to the ER opened. The cool air of the ER greeted him as he walked up to the counter, "Ma'am I'm looking for…" Leon was interrupted by a tap on his shoulder. He turned to find Vince standing in front of him covered in blood. "Where is Sky?"

"This isn't her blood, brother. Come over here and I'll fill you in." Vince motioned toward the waiting area. He followed Leon over to a set of chairs and took a seat. "Now before I tell you all of this you need to understand she had her reasons for doing what she did."

"I don't think I like where this is going?"

"Just listen and don't overreact. About a month ago Sky had a friend of hers find your mom." Vince paused to give Leon a chance to get over the shock then began to speak again. "Your mom was living under another name in Arizona with your dad."

"What? What the fuck? She took that motherfucker back after all that shit he did to her." Leon jumped from his seat and stomped around looking to punch something.

"Sit your ass down and let me finish."

"More good news I guess." Leon sat back down and stretched his legs out in front of him.

"They had two more boys together. Sky was trying to get your mom to leave your dad. Sky convinced her to move to San Bernardino, but your dad found her again and she let him move back in. Then tonight she called Sky and told her that your dad had beaten the boys. She wanted Sky to come get them and take them back to LA with her."

"Did she get them? Why are you here at the hospital covered in blood?"

"This is your mom's blood. He stabbed her before we got there. She's in surgery."

* * *

Nicholas fell fast asleep in the crib; Caleb on the other hand held a tight grip on Sky's hair and refused to let go. She sat in the rocking chair trying to soothe him to sleep. She ran her fingers through his wavy brown hair and softly sang him a lullaby. The door to the room crept open and Sky assumed it was the nurse coming to do her rounds, but instead Leon walked into the room. 

She began to apologize immediately for keeping secrets from him, "I completely understand if you hate me. I should've told you."

Leon put his finger to her mouth to stop her from speaking, "You did the right thing this time. I'd be up for first degree murder if you had told me." He kissed her on the forehead and looked down at the baby lying in her arms holding onto her. "He likes your hair too. I don't know if I can share you with him." Leon looked into the barely open eyes of the Caleb, "You just remember that she's mine."

Caleb smiled wide, "she mine."


	53. A Long Night

_Love the reviews and I'm really getting into the exciting part of the story so hopefully the updates will continue to flow. I am working on the next chapter that includes Race Wars and part of the hijacking and will have it posted in a day or so. Enjoy this chapter._

Chapter 53

The phone rang loud in the Toretto house. Dom jumped from bed to answer it. He was anxiously waiting for a call from Vince or Leon. "Hello."

Vince cleared his throat and spoke, "Hey brother."

"What the fuck is going on? Jesse told me that Sky's in the hospital."

"No. We're at a hospital, but she's not the one that's hurt. What we have is a fucked up situation. Leon's mom's still in surgery and…"

"Whoa hold up. Leon's mom, where the hell did she come from? Leon ain't seen her since…"

"Yeah I know when the last time they seen each other was and I'd rather not bring that shit up, not after what I saw tonight. When I get home I'll tell you the whole story, but right now I just can't go through it. Besides that's not why I'm calling, I need Jess to drive down here in my car."

"Your car, why not his?"

"Because I'm gonna leave my car for Sky and drive hers back. It's complicated just have Jesse bring my car."

"You need anything else?"

"Nah, later brother."

"Later." Dom hung up the phone and got dressed. He hated not knowing the full story and decided to drive the car himself.

He pulled into the parking lot of the hospital and at once noticed the team's cars as they stuck out like a sore thumb. Hospitals always made Dom feel uneasy. Since his mom spent the last months of her life hooked up to machines fighting cancer he had been unable to set foot in a hospital. That was until Sky got shot. He had gone with Vince and Vince's mom to identify Mrs. Thomas' body and to look in on Sky. It took all he had not to bolt from the place when he saw Sky hooked up just like his mom had been. Dom shook his head and walked through the doors. He made his way to the desk and asked the receptionist to page Vince to the lobby. Vince appeared a few minutes later. "Thought I'd bring you the car, Jesse is busy at the shop getting my car ready for Race Wars."

"Come upstairs with me then and I'll tell you the whole story." Vince directed Dom to the main elevators and they rode up to the intensive care unit. A lobby had been set up for families of patients in the ICU. Vince motioned for Dom to sit down and went through the whole story or at least as much as he knew. Dom sat stunned unable to find the words. Vince clued Dom into the fact that now Leon had responsibility for the care of his brothers until his mom got out of the hospital.

"How the hell are we gonna get in practice time and get the girls more street time before the weekend?" Dom knew that neither Letty nor Sky were ready to race for money and Mia wanted to race some amateurs herself.

"Hell I don't have a clue. I don't even know if Leon and Sky are gonna race this weekend."

"They have to. The job has been set up and there's no turning back. We don't do the job and the kids will be the least of our worries."

"Shit. What more can go wrong?"

"Don't say that. We got enough bad luck going for us."

* * *

A nurse came into the room to check the boys' vitals, "Your children are adorable." She said assuming that Leon and Sky were the boys' parents.

Sky went to correct the nurse, but Leon spoke up, "Thanks, they're my brothers actually."

"Really?" The nurse said in disbelief. "The way the little one clings to her you'd think that was his momma."

"He is attached." Leon laughed as he watched Caleb struggle farther up into Sky's arms to get away from the nurse checking over him.

The nurse wrote the boys' information into the charts, "Let me know if you need anything, I'll be on duty until 7am."

Leon turned to Sky, "You gonna be ok with them while I go check on my mom."

"Yeah baby I can handle them. Nicky is sound asleep and Caleb will be soon enough."

"I'll be right back." Leon opened the door and paused to look back, "You know I love you right."

"Yes and I love you too."

The nurse at the desk looked up from her paperwork and smiled at him, "How are your little brothers?"

"Good, a little banged up, but good. How's my mom?"

"Little change from before although she is awake and talking. I think she'll be just fine. It's going to be a while before she can chase after children, but otherwise she should bounce back. She was very lucky. Normally a laceration to the liver as severe as hers would have meant death. A guardian angel must be watching over her. You can go back if you'd like. A couple of your friends are inside with her now."

Leon nodded and walked to his mom's room. Inside he found Vince and Dom telling her all about the team and what he had been up to in the years they had been apart. "Hey."

All three looked up at him standing in the doorway. His mom smiled taking in the sight of the boy she left so long ago that was now a man. "You're a sight for sore eyes." She held her hand out for him. Leon reluctantly took her hand afraid to get close to her in case she ran away again.

Dom stood up and moved towards the door, "We're going to give you guys some time alone."

Vince stood up from his seat, "Look here is the keys to my car. There are two car seats in the back for the boys. There's also a bag of clothes for them both. Can I get you something else before I go?"

"Damn V you did all that," Leon said stunned by his friends generosity.

"You're my brother dawg. I'd do anything for ya."

"How are you getting home?"

Dom spoke up from the door, "We're taking Sky's car home."

Leon took out his car keys, "Here Dom do me a favor and take the Skyline too. Me and Sky'll ride home together."

"No problem." Dom took the keys from Leon and he and Vince left the room.

"You have very nice friends Leon." Lois said as she patted Leon's hand.

"If it wasn't for them I'd be dead you know that. You left me when I needed you most. Sky and I had to hitchhike to LA. She almost died on me." Leon let go of his mom's hand and walked across the room. "I had to take her out of the hospital because they were sending her away. After everything we did to get away she was ripped away from me anyway. Do you understand that? If you had stayed you could've got custody of her and she wouldn't have gone through the shit. She'd of been safe."

"Leon I did what I thought was best."

"You ended up back with the motherfucker." He raised his voice to his mother something he had never done before. "I hate you for that. Do you understand what I'm saying? I love you cause you gave birth to me, but that's it. I hate you for taking off on me."

"Son you have to understand that I never meant to end up back with him. He promised that he quit drinking and that everything would get better."

"This his idea of better?" Leon turned to look out the window, "You're all cut up and my brothers, my brothers are lying in hospital beds."

"There's nothing more I can do but say sorry."

"That's your answer for everything isn't it? I'm taking the boys back to LA with me and when you get better and can take care of yourself we'll set you up with a place to live." Leon walked out of the room fighting back tears. He rushed back to Sky. He needed her now more than ever. She greeted him with open arms and held him close as his tears poured out.


	54. Race Wars

_Warning: Long Chapter. Probably should have split this in two but decided to just post it this way._

_I'm only including the very beginning of the hijacking in this chapter because of the length and detail I want to use for that event._

_Thanks for the reviews everyone._

Chapter 54

Around 8am the doctors released the boys from the hospital. Sky took them to see their mom before they left. Leon was still too angry to face his mom. Lois made Sky promise to take care of all three of her boys until she could get back on her feet. Lois swore that she would repair her broken relationship with Leon. After many hugs and kisses Sky and the boys left the room heading for the awaiting car at the entrance to the hospital. Leon helped her buckle the boys into their car seats and then drove them home to LA.

When they arrived the whole team was out front waiting for them. Mia burst out from behind Vince and rushed the car excited to see the children. There was an audible grasp from everyone but Vince when Sky brought Caleb out of the car. His face was black and blue and he could still barely open his eyes. "It's ok guys. They're both a bit banged up. Try not to treat them any different."

Mia stepped forward, "Hello baby what's your name?"

Caleb curled tight into Sky. "It's ok baby. You can tell Mia your name."

"Caleb," he said slightly mispronouncing it so it sounded more like "Caweb".

"My name is Mia." She held out her hand and waited for him to feel comfortable to touch her. He blew her a kiss and giggled loudly.

Leon walked around the car and introduced the team to Nicky. The boy walked up to each member of the team and shook their hands. He was more outgoing than his younger brother. Something about Nicky endeared him to the males of the team. Everyone moved inside and Dom, Jesse, and Vince took Nicky into the living room to find something to watch on TV. Jess chose 'Gone in 60 Seconds' feeling the kid needed to learn about cars right away. Mia took Caleb from Sky and told her and Leon to go downstairs and get some sleep. She could see that neither of them had slept in the last 24 hours. Gladly the two accepted the offer and headed down to Leon's room.

A knock at the door announcing dinner roused Leon and Sky from their slumber. Slightly rested but still exhausted they pulled themselves out of bed and slowly made their way up to the dining room. Nicky and Caleb greeted them with warm hugs and pleads to be picked up. Dom motioned for everyone to take a seat so that he could say grace for a change. Dinner was spent mostly in silence. No one felt like talking or even acknowledging the sticky situation they were in.

Finally Vince broke the silence, "Leon how'd the car handle today?"

"Huh?" Leon was lost in thought.

"The car…how was it?"

"Yeah it's still unloading in third."

"Shit. Jesse can you get to that tomorrow I wanna take it out to the track Thursday?"

Jesse looked up from his plate of food. He was eating so fast he had ended up wearing most of it. "I'll get…" He choked on the food in his mouth.

"Slow down and chew Jess." Sky said getting up from the table. She walked over and patted him on the back to help him clear his throat.

"Thanks. Like I was saying I'll get on it tonight if you like. I'm heading to the shop to put the finishing touches on the Supra. I can yours running 9s in no time."

Dom put his fork down and stood up from the table, "Can I get a set of keys?" His car was still at the shop getting tuned for the races. Everyone offered their keys. He chose Letty's as the car was parked at the bottom of the driveway. No one questioned him as he walked out the door.

He headed for a strip where he used to race in high school. The light was red when he pulled up to the line. The adrenaline pumped through his veins. The sounds around him were deadened, only the sound of the motor flooded his ears. The light turned to green and the car jetted from the line with force. His mind was clear, no worries about family, money, or the job.

It came to an end too soon and his mind became clouded again with problems. He needed the whole team to pull off the job. The cars weren't ready for Race Wars and neither was the team and for the first time he was starting to doubt Brian. Was he a cop? Was this all a setup to take down everything he had worked to build?

Dom dialed the number to the house. It took seven rings before anyone answered. "Hello?" Mia answered out of breath.

"What the fuck is going on there?" He heard screaming and laughter in the background.

"Just playing with the kids Dom, God why do you have to be such an asshole all the time?"

"Cut the attitude Mi. Put Vince on."

Mia handed the phone to Vince and walked away in a huff, "Yeah what ya need?"

"I need you and Jesse to meet me at the garage. We're gonna knock out as many of the cars as we can tonight. I wanna concentrate on the girls' cars first; they're racing Friday night."

"Whatever you think is best. I'll take Mia's and Jess can drive Sky's. We'll be there in ten."

"Good." Dom hung up the phone and headed for the Racer's Edge. Something about Brian was eating at him and he needed to see what the guy was up to. When he arrived a lone light shown from inside the store; Dom banged on the door and waited for Brian to answer.

"Come in." Brian opened the door wide to allow Dom to walk in. "Do you need some parts?"

"No. The reason I'm here Brian is that I need some reassurance that you are who you say you are. Rarely, I give my trust to someone and I have trusted you Brian. You need to lay it all out for me Brian, honestly tell me what I need to know and I'll never question you again, but if I find out you are lying. Do I really need to say what I'd do?"

"No bro. You wanna know everything?" Dom nodded and gestured for Brian to begin. Brian was unprepared for this and decided to be truthful for a change yet leaving out the part where he was a cop trying to take down Toretto. "I was born in Barstow, moved to Tucson when I was three. My dad owned a small gas station near the edge of town. He did small jobs like tune-ups and oil changes. Occasionally he'd take on a big job like an engine rebuild. I spent most of my life in that garage working side by side with him. After-school and weekends were spent there helping out. Life was routine until one night my parents went out to dinner and didn't come home. Instead a sheriff showed up at the door to tell me they were dead."

"What happened, if you don't mind talking about it?"

"They were about half a mile from home when a guy crossed the center line and struck them head on. My mom died instantly and within a few minutes my dad died. The thing is I heard the ambulances drive by my house on the way to the scene. I never thought it was my parents."

"Shit man I'm sorry."

"In one instance my family was gone."

"How old were you?"

"Fifteen. My best friend Roman's family took me in. It didn't take long for the two of us to get into trouble. Decided to take a car for a joyride one night and got caught."

"That's where the two years in juvy come in?"

"Yeah, when I got out I had to do community service and ended up working at a garage. Dude brought in a busted up Eclipse and after many hours of wrench time I ended up here at the Mecca of street racing."

"You and Sky have something in common."

"What the hell could me and her have in common?"

"She lost her parents at the same time."

"What happened?"

"Her dad was a son of a bitch; beat the hell out of her and her mom all the time. Problem was he was a cop and they had no way to escape him. On Sky's sixteenth birthday he shot her, her mom and then turned the gun on himself. Sky was the only one to survive."

"That's why she hates cops so much."

"You got it. She's suspicious of you, thinks you're a cop. Normally I'd go with her but I think she's wrong this time. Is she wrong Brian?"

"I'm not a cop Dom." Brian spoke but he felt as if the words had come from someone else.

"Then I'll never ask again. You have my trust." Dom walked toward the door. "Don't make me regret trusting you."

"I won't," Brian felt sick lying to a man who had become more than a friend to him. Dom was like family to him now.

* * *

Friday night rolled around, the last night before Race Wars. The alley was packed when team Toretto rolled in with one additional member. Brian drove in the center of the V. Vince had volunteered to stay home with the boys while the rest of the team went to the race. The crowd cheered as the team exited their vehicles. Dom walked to the front of the crowd to make his announcement, "Tonight the ladies of DT will be handing out the ass-whooping. We're going to have three races. Now who's going to step up and take on these fine ladies?"

Edwin worked his way through the crowd, "Hell count me in. I want a shot at Little Miss Lightning." He pointed right at Sky.

Dom nodded, "Who else wants a shot at Sky? I'm sure she's pissed off someone here." Two racers stepped up. Their reason for racing her was simple; she had beaten them before and they wanted revenge.

Hector and two other members from his crew challenged Letty. Mia's challengers were a couple of girls new to the scene looking to get into their first race. Letty's race took place first. She took a substantial lead from the start and never looked back. Her aggressive racing style earned her the name "queen of the streets" and she defended her honor convincingly.

Mia was not as lucky in her race. She took the hole shot from the line, but soon fell back when she missed third gear. Her slipup was enough to give Edwin's girl Monica the win. Mia slowly made her way back to the line defeated unsure if she had what it took to race like her brother and father.

When Sky pulled to the line for her race she too felt inferior to the racers lined up beside her. She knew how to snake her way through the streets of LA at high rates of speed, but it was an entirely different thing to beat some of the better racers on the strip. She had watched Dom a hundred times beat these guys, but that night her fear was getting the best of her. A man on the hood of a Civic dropped the signal to race. The other racers jumped from the start, but Sky was slow to start. This put her at a disadvantage. Her car was heavier than the others and needed to get out of the start fast. Leon's voice came over the radio, "Come on baby girl. You can beat these guys." She put her foot down on the accelerator and watched the rpms rise. Quickly she passed two of the racers leaving only Edwin in her sights. The finish line was just up ahead and with a shot of NOS she flew past him winning by a couple of feet.

The team had a small, quiet celebration back at the house. They would need to be at Race Wars early the next day.

* * *

Race Wars was the premier event for the street racing circuit. It was a chance to show off your car and win a ton of money. Team pride was also at stake as the best team from the weekend had the bragging rights all year. Team DT had won the last couple of years and were not ready to relinquish the crown especially to Tran's team.

Jesse and Vince left early to get the trailers and tent set up. Sky took the boys to stay with Vince's mom for the weekend believing that Race Wars was no place for two little boys. When she arrived back at the house the team rolled out and headed for the desert. The place was already packed when they arrived. Always one for the big entrance Dom had the team form the V once inside the abandoned military base.

Letty and Sky drove straight to the track wanting to get in on some action early before the temperatures hit triple digits. Letty was up first paired against a white Mazda RX-7.

"Hey, hey baby." The male driver called across to Letty. "You should be watching from the side. I wouldn't want to get exhaust on that pretty face."

"How 'bout you put your money where your mouth is?" Letty countered back.

"Well how 'bout I race for that sweet little ass?"

"If you want ass why don't you hit Hollywood Boulevard? You want an adrenaline rush; it'll be two large right here, right now. What's it gonna be?" She showed him her roll of cash.

He pulled his cash out of his pocket, "You got it."

The flag man dropped his hands and the race was off. They stayed neck and neck until Letty pressed the NOS button on her steering wheel. "See ya," she said as her car took off leaving the guy in a cloud of dust.

"Damn girl now that is how you race," Sky called across the radio to Letty.

"You better do the same chica."

"Oh I will." Sky looked over at her opponent. The guy rolled down his window and Sky instantly recognized him. It was one of Tran's thugs in a Nissan Altima.

He looked over at her like he knew he had the race in the bag, "Care to make a friendly wager?"

"What you wanna put up?"

"The car and 10 Gs or is that too rich for your blood?"

"Done, see you at the finish line." Sky mentally kicked herself for putting her car up. She had promised Dom that she wouldn't make any stupid bets since she wasn't the most experienced driver. Unfortunately, her pride got in the way this time. "You can do this." She said over and over again. The guy flew ahead of her early, but she didn't panic. As soon as he hit his NOS, Sky hit hers and sailed past him winning the race and a car.

Brian walked around the DT camper and instead of finding Mia he ran right into Jesse. "Hey Jess."

"Yo Brian what's up?" He replied walking fast to the strip.

"What you got in your hand?"

"I'm throwing down a pink slip just like you."

"A pink slip to what the Jetta, you can't bet your dad's car."

"That's alright I'm not losing. This fool's running a Honda 2000. I'll win and me and my dad can roll when he gets out of prison."

"Well there going to throw him back into prison when he finds out you lost his car."

"Shit I'm up." Jess ran towards his car at the start line.

"Jesse visualize the win. You hear me, visualize the win. Jess you got to listen to me."

"Uh-huh." Jesse's mind was racing and he didn't hear anything around him. Tran rolled down his window and smiled. Jesse flashed the pink slip to the Jetta and strapped himself in.

Brian leaned into the car and tried to reason with him, "Jess don't do this. I bet he's got $100,000 under the hood of that car."

"Yep," Jesse said oblivious to Brian's comments.

The flag man dropped his hands and they racers took off. Sky ran up behind Leon, "You let Jesse race Tran. How much did he bet?"

Leon kept his eyes on Jesse who was keeping pace with Tran, "He bet the pink slip."

"Are you fucking crazy? You let Jess bet his dad's car?"

"Yeah why?"

"Why the fuck didn't you…" She stopped speaking when she saw Tran's car race past Jesse and take the win. "No," her heart felt like it dropped out of her chest. They watched as Jesse took an exit road and heading out of the base.

Leon and Sky ran back to give Dom the heads up. Leon tapped Vince on the shoulder and ran over to Dom, "We got a problem. Look Jesse."

Dom shielded his eyes from the sun and watched Jesse leave the base, "Where's Jesse going?"

"He raced Tran for slips."

"Aw shit."

Tran slammed his brakes in front of the DT tent, "Where's he taking my car?"

"He took it to the car wash."

"Whatever go fetch my car."

"Listen we ain't on your block no more. You better watch what you say." Dom walked away not wanting to get into it with Johnny.

"Toretto, SWAT came into my house, disrespected my whole family cause somebody narc'ed me out and that someone was you."

Dom swung around and caught Johnny squared on the jaw knocking him to the ground. Soon both teams were fighting. Letty took out Tran's cousin, Lance with one punch. The crowd roared when he hit the ground. Security rushed in and separated the teams. Vince and Leon grabbed Dom and walked him away.

Once they were a safe distance from the crowd Vince spoke up, "Think about it Dom, Tran's house gets raided. Don't you remember the DVD players at Tran's garage that Spilner was too interested in? He's a cop, always has been."

"I think Vince's right this time dawg." Leon leaned back against a car motioned for Sky to join him. He wrapped his arms around her.

Dom looked over at them, "What do you think Sky? You're rarely wrong on shit like this."

Sky looked him straight in the eye, "Brian's a cop. He's played us all along."

"I'll take care of him when the job's finished."

4am rolled around and the team mounted up for what they hoped would be their last hijacking. Mia begged and pleaded with Dom not go. She had a bad feeling about this one. The ride to the water tower was quiet. Leon stared at Sky's eyes through the rearview mirror. He had never seen her so worried. They arrived at the tower and Dom jumped out of the car. He ripped the covers off the cars and started barking orders, "We're a man short. Sky get the tranq gun from Leon's car. This job is gonna be like all the rest."

Leon shook his head, "Your sister's right on this one; it don't feel right."

Letty agreed, "We shouldn't be doing this without Jesse or during the day."

"Just get in the cars and let's do this. One last ride and we'll all take a vacation to a Mexican beach." He turned to Letty and spoke softly, "I had a dream about us the other night. Just me and you alone on a beach, one last job and we can have that dream."

The team reluctantly agreed to the job and headed for their respective cars. Sky took one last look back and Leon. She mouthed the words "I love you" and slipped into Letty's car.


	55. He's Got a Shotgun

_I just couldn't give you the whole hijacking in one chapter so here's part 1. As always you like it let me know and if you don't let me know._

Chapter 55

The Civics came down the dirt road in single file. Sky looked over to Letty who was concentrating on the road ahead. "What?" Letty questioned catching Sky staring at her.

"I have that feeling in the pit of my stomach. It's never steered me wrong. Whenever I felt it I knew my ass was in trouble."

Letty took her eyes off the road to look her in the eyes, "Everything's gonna be alright. Dom won't let anything happen to us." Inside she knew that was a lie. Dom was trouble and anything he was involved in usually went down bad.

"I hope you're right."

The sun was beginning to peak over the mountain as the Civics caught up to the truck. "Scanners are clear. Go time." Leon called across the radio. Letty pulled out of the line and jetted in front of the truck. With no hesitation, Sky slipped her helmet on and opened the sunroof. She snaked her body out of the seat and out the window. After quickly steadying herself against the wind she fired the spear gun. The silver spear crashed through the passenger window of the truck and she activated the wench to drag the window out. Once the spear was securely back in her hand minus the window, she slipped back into the car. "You're good to go Dom. Send V in."

"Letty fall back. Good work Sky." Dom called across the radio. Letty pulled off to the left and let up off the accelerator. He pulled to the inside between her car and the truck. The truck began weaving trying to cause an accident. Dom hit the accelerator hard pushing his car in front of the truck allowing Letty to join Leon in the back.

Vince took a deep breath and popped out of the car. He shot his spear into the passenger seat and latched the line to his harness. Standing on the trunk lid of the car he didn't see the shotgun in the driver's hand. Dom yelled for Vince to get back into the car, but it was too late. Vince made the jump and had hold of the grill when the first shot rang out.

Dom grabbed the radio sitting on his lap, "Leon, he's got a damn shotgun."

"Shit." Leon looked back in the backseat of his car for the other tranquilizer gun. He then remembered that Sky had put in Letty's car. "Dom get him off of there any way you can."

When Leon released the button Sky's voice came across the radio, "Everybody stay back. Letty's gonna get me close for a shot and I don't need to worry about one of you guys getting in the way."

"No Sky don't do this." Leon pleaded with her.

He thought there had to be another way, but it was too late. Letty had already pulled even with the trailer of the truck. She measured the Civic up against the truck and swerved under it. They raced up the right side of the truck hoping to surprise the trucker. Sky rose out of the window. As she aimed the high powered tranq gun at the trucker, she found herself staring down the barrel of the shotgun. She squeezed the trigger and followed the dart as it flew through the air right into the guy. She breathed a sigh of relief. Slipping into the car she heard a shot ring out again. In an instant the rear window shattered and blood poured from Letty's chest. Everything happened in slow motion as Letty lost control of the car sending it flying off the side of the road. It flew several feet in the air before landing on the driver's side and flipping over several more times. Sky didn't have a chance to get her seatbelt on and was tossed around the car with each flip. Her head hit the roll cage and everything went black.

Leon and Dom watched the car carrying the women they loved crash hard on the side of the road. His hands shaking Dom grabbed the radio, "Get the girls."

There was no response from Leon. He made a u-turn in the middle of the highway and sped toward the crash site. Pieces of the car were strewn across a wide area. Running to the car he found Letty still strapped into her seat bleeding heavily. "Letty can you hear me?" She didn't answer him. "I'm gonna get you out of there." He unbuckled her seatbelt and laid her on the ground. When he looked back into the car he noticed Sky was not inside. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the Supra pull up. Mia and Brian ran down the hill to help.

Mia screamed when she saw the gaping hole in Letty's chest. Shock took over and she fell to the ground. She kept saying Letty's name while rocking back and forth.

Brian kneeled down bedside Letty and put pressure on the wound. Blood still flowed through his fingers. "We got to get her to hospital now or she's gonna die."

"I can't find her." Leon said through tear filled eyes.

Brian knew the answer to his question before he finished asking, "Who?"

"She was in the passenger seat. It was a mistake to do this. She told me it didn't feel right and I let her do it anyway."

"Leon man you ain't making sense. If I'm going to help you I need to be able to understand you."

"I got to find her." Leon started off past the car to look for Sky. "Skylar where are you? Sky…Sky can you hear me?" About 30 feet from the crash he noticed a white shoe sticking out of the brush. Beneath the brush lay Sky battered and bleeding. "Sky baby speak to me."

"Le…Leon what happened?"

"The car flipped. You were thrown from the car." He rested his hand on hers. "Don't move you might make things worse."

"We have to get out of here. The cops will swarm the place any minute."

"I don't give a shit. Don't fucking move." His voice was raised. "Who knows what you've broken inside?"

Brian walked over to them, "I've got to get a life flight in here. Leon you need to get out of here before I call it in."

"Not without me." Sky pulled herself into a seated position against Leon's objections. Slowly she got to her feet only to fall back down. Her left leg was severely broken. "Someone has to pick Dom and Vince up from the drop location and we still have to find Jesse. Leon you can't do both."

"And you can't drive with a broken leg." Leon helped her up from the ground and used his weight to steady her. "We're caught."

"Not necessarily." Brian chimed in. "Take the Civic back to the cars. Take Mia with you to drive for Sky and I'll stay here until the chopper picks up Letty."

Leon grabbed Brian's wrist, "Why are you helping us?"

"I don't know, but you better get going before I change my mind."


	56. Consequences

_This one was harder to write than I thought it would be. Hopefully the next chapter comes easier. _

Chapter 56

With horror Vince watched the car carrying his cousin and Letty careen out of control and flip off the road. He felt sick to his stomach and the anger welled up inside of his like a fast moving fire. The gunfire ceased and Vince took the opportunity to look up from the grill of the truck. The driver was slumped against the steering wheel. In an instant Vince was inside the cabin. The truck swerved as he took control of the wheel from the incapacitated driver. He shoved the guy to the floorboard and slipped into the driver's seat. It took everything he had not to take the shotgun laying in the seat and blow the guy's brains clear out of his skull.

Vince took the exit for the drop-off not knowing if anyone from the team was with him. The words Leon said right before the heist ran through his head over and over, "This don't feel right." Why hadn't he listened? He wasn't ready to bury one of his friends for money, but that's just what he was facing. He pulled the truck into an empty parking lot and jumped out. He came around the truck and pulled the driver out. Unable to contain his fury, he unloaded punch after punch into the face of the guy. He wanted to kill the son of a bitch.

Two black Lexus sped into the lot. A tall Italian man stepped out of one of the cars, "We'll take it from here." He held out his hand for the key to the truck.

"It's inside the ignition, but there's a complication." Vince pointed to the truck driver. "He saw my face."

"Don't worry he won't remember a thing."

Vince grabbed the man by his arm, "Maybe you didn't understand me. I'm not taking any chances. Make sure he's never seen again."

"There is a small fee for disposal."

Vince clinched his fists and stared the man down, "Name your price."

"Additional $50,000."

"Done." Vince stood stoic until the vehicles were out of sight. His stomach wretched and he fell to his knees as the contents of his stomach emptied onto the hot asphalt.

* * *

Dom watched from afar as the deal went down. Once the truck left the lot he pulled back onto the highway and headed back to the house to look for Jesse. Tran would be looking for the Jetta by now and wouldn't stop until he had the car and Jesse's life. What ever possessed Jesse to race for slips he would never know. Whatever the reason Dom knew he had to clean it up.

* * *

Leon swept Sky up into his arms and carried her off to his Civic. Mia followed close behind stopping every few steps to turn and look back at Brian, the man she had trusted and fallen in love with. She wanted to remember every feature of his face as it might be the last time she saw him. "Let's go." Leon screamed motioning for her to hurry to the car. Leaving Brian was tearing her apart, but she had to take care of her family. Mia ran to the car and jumped in the passenger seat.

Brian watched the dust fly as the Civic disappeared from his sight. He fought back the tears while tending to the massive wound in Letty's chest. He used his free hand to pull his cellphone out of his pocket and dial 911. "This is Brian O'Conner. I'm off-duty L.A.P.D. I need a life flight roll out to Highway 86 mile marker 116. I've got a female 20 years of age with a gunshot to the chest upper left hand side."

"Officer, do you know what kind of gun she was shot with?" The operator kept her voice calm.

Brian was afraid to give too much detail wanting to give the team time to escape, "It's a scatter pattern. I believe a shotgun. To be honest I'm not quite sure. What's the ETA on the chopper?"

"The flight is in the air and will reach you in approximately 2 minutes."

* * *

"Mia you need to drive as fast as you can. Get V and Dom." Leon was holding her by her shoulders and looking her in the face making sure she understood.

"I got it. What do I do when I get there?"

"Dom will figure it out. Now get in that car and don't look back." He walked back to the Nissan where Sky was slumped over in the passenger seat. "Baby everything'll be alright," his hand rested under her chin.

"Promise me. Promise me that you'll get Jesse and be in Baja tonight."

"I promise I'll be there. Sleep and before you know it we'll be together. You don't know how much it's killing me to let you go without me."

"Leon…" Sky held tight to him not wanting to let go.

He pulled her hands away and backed from the car, "Don't worry baby. Nothin'll keep me from you." Her cries echoed in his ears as he jumped in his car and drove off towards L.A.

* * *

Leon went over in his mind the place Jess might hide when he remembered the conversation he overheard between Jesse and Sky about his mom's death. That was the one place no one would expect him to be. Few people even knew the location. Sure enough as Leon drove through the cemetery he spotted the White Jetta parked behind a mausoleum. As Leon passed the car he saw the kid lying beside a grave marker. Leon slipped out of the car and ran over to him, "Been looking for you."

"I fucked up this time. I'm so sorry." Ashamed he couldn't look up at Leon.

"We all fucked up this time. I shouldn't have let you bet your dad's car or I at least could've ridden with you."

"I can't believe I lost. I had the better car. Johnny didn't have shit under the hood of that car that I couldn't beat. If I hadn't of hit that button too soon I'd have won."

"Everybody makes mistakes, but we got bigger problems right now. We did the heist without you and shit went wrong. Letty got shot."

"Is she…?" Jesse couldn't bring himself to say the word.

"Don't know, but we ain't got time to talk about this now." Leon reached down and helped Jesse to his feet. "Got to get…"

Out of the shadows came two motorcycles speeding up the drive. They raised their automatic weapons and sprayed the area with a barrage of bullets. Leon covered Jesse's body with his own and pushed him to the ground. He felt the heat of the bullets piercing his skin and then nothing.

"Leon? Can you hear me Leon?" Jesse held his friend close. The sirens blared in the background. "They're coming to help. Hold on." Rocking back and forth he repeated the words almost in a chant. "I'm so sorry."


	57. Emergencies

_The last chapter got the most reviews of any chapter in the story. I'm so sorry that I left y'all hanging at the end. I finished it at midnight and just didn't have time to throw in another chapter. You know, got to get up early and all. So to make up for it here's the next chapter._

Chapter 57

He had ditched the Civic in a parking garage fifteen blocks away and hoofed it the rest of the way home. The house was deserted when Dom arrived. Once inside the house he dialed the number Sky had given him in case the heist went bad and they needed to hide the evidence. After three rings a man answered. "Yes sir, I am a friend of Sky's."

"Hold please. I will put you through immediately." The voice on the other end was cut abruptly and the hold music began to play."

Another man came to the line, "How may I help you son?"

"Sky gave me this number in case of an emergency. She said you could help."

"Why did she not call herself?"

"To be honest sir I don't know where she is at this point in time. Her cousin is getting her out of the area. It all went wrong and they're heading to the safe house."

"I understand. I'll have the cars picked up in the next ten minutes. My advice to you is to make your way to the safe house also."

"Wait, do you need to know where the cars are?"

"Each one of the cars contains a tracking device. It was something that Skylar and I had agreed to in case of a situation such as this. I've always known where the cars were. The cars will be taken care of. Unfortunately, there is not much I can do about the cop that infiltrated your team. Sky had mentioned that there was a new member she did not trust. In the future I suggest you listen to her.She has never steered me wrong."

Before Dom could comment the line went dead. He placed the handset back on the receiver. Hanging on the peg closest to the backdoor was the keys to the only car at the house, the Charger. He took the keys and headed for the garage. For a moment he hesitated afraid to drive the car, but his love for his family forced him to continue. He slipped into the driver's seat and fired the engine. It roared to life like a beast. He was about to pull out when the Supra came into the driveway.

Brian got out of his car with his gun drawn, "It's over Dom. No more running."

"I'm not running." His voice boomed. "Look I got to find Jesse before they do. I'm all the kid's got."

"I'll call in the plates. PD will pick him up way before Johnny gets to him."

"Why don't you go to hell you fucking pig? You lied to us Brian. I'm not a cop. Bullshit. Get the fuck out of my way now."

"I can't do that Dom. I didn't mean to hurt anyone; I was just doing my job."

"Fucking my baby sister was that your job?" Dom didn't wait for an answer. He punched Brian in the jaw sending him reeling backwards.

Brian tried to steady himself against the door of the Supra, "Look I deserved that, but that doesn't change anything. It's over you got to turn yourself in."

"I don't have time to do this. Jesse is out there scared and alone. Get out of my way." Dom heard the engines before he saw the bikes. "Brian look out." Johnny Tran and his cousin Lance sped down the street with guns drawn. They shot off many rounds hitting mostly grass and the wall in front of the house. Dom grabbed Brian and pulled him in front of the Supra to safety right before bullets pierce the car where he was just standing.

Once the bullets stopped flying Brian jumped into the Supra and sped after Tran. Knowing a short cut Dom jumped into the Charger and went in the opposite direction.

* * *

"Is he gonna be ok?" Jesse was so upset he didn't notice that a bullet had lodged in his shoulder. "Tell me is he gonna be ok?"

"Sir please sit down. Let me examine you." The nurse patted the bed. "The doctors will do everything they can for you friend. I need to concentrate on you."

A team worked furiously to stabilize Leon. "Can you get a line in that arm? We need three units of O pos and can someone bag him?" The head doctor barked out the orders quickly. The floor was covered in blood from the multiple hits Leon had taken. "Alright we need to get him to the O.R. Call ahead and let them know that we're coming." The nurse released the brake on the gurney and they rushed him out of the room.

* * *

The chopper landed on the roof of the hospital. Letty was rushed into the elevator and down to the operating room where doctors were waiting. The nurses cut her clothing off and inserted IV lines to deliver anesthetic and to replace lost blood. The doctor, Dr. Roberts, moved in to examine the wound and plan her course of action. "I'm going to need suction. I can't see anything in there." The nurse handed the suction tube to the assistant surgeon. The blood was sucked away leaving a better view of the wound. CarefullyDr. Roberts picked out the pieces of shotgun shell. The operation was tedious and long. Three hours later she completed the last stitch to close the wound and sent Letty to recovery.

In the operating across the hall the surgeon was not succeeding in getting Leon's bleeding under control. Leon had his entire blood supply replaced during the surgery with no sign of the bleeding stopping. In frustration the surgeon called for assistance fromDr. Robertswho had just completed Letty's surgery.

"Typical day in Los Angeles huh guys?" Dr. Roberts scrubbed in and went to work on the chest wounds on Leon. "Ryan you should have called me sooner if you couldn't get this under control." The surgeon across from her sent an evil glance her way.

"Look this guy's got at least six bullet holes. What the hell did you want me to do?"

"What I wanted you to do was take the most critical wounds first as I am doing now and then work on the superficial wounds Dr. Meece. So since I'm here now you can finish up on the wounds you felt were important and then get the hell out of my OR." Dr. Roberts had had her fair share of cocky young surgeons in her twenty years of practicing medicine. She loved to put them in their place as often as she could. Unfortunately, the mistakes Dr. Meece had made that day in the operating room would have dire consequences.

Following the surgery Dr. Roberts went to talk to Jesse, "Hello young man I understand you were brought in with Mr. Davison."

"Yeah, how is Leon?" He picked at the blanket covering his legs. "He's like my brother. Please tell me that he's going to be ok."

"Well Mr. Lykens your friend was shot many times. I'm going to be honest with you, he has slipped into a coma and there is no way to tell if he will wake up in the next fifteen minutes or ever. We just have to sit back and wait for his body to heal on its own."

* * *

"Remember girls don't use your names in here. We're gonna get Sky checked out and then we're off to Baja. Keep your mouth shut and your eyes open. If you suspect anything get the hell out of there."

Vince drove into the San Diego city limits. He needed to make one last stop before crossing the border. He pulled into the General Hospital lot and helped Sky get out of the car. He placed her in a wheelchair and had Mia pushed her into the emergency room of the hospital. "Remember she fell down the stairs to the basement. Make'em believe ya Mia. We can't take a chance of the cops getting called. When they say she can go call me and I'll pick you guys up at the door."

"Got ya V." Mia continued through the doors to the front desk.

The nurse looked up at Mia, "Can I help you?"

"Yes my friend fell down the steps at home while doing laundry and I think she needs to be checked out."

"Wheel her around back. Did she hit her head at all? She doesn't seem coherent."

"I think she hit her head at the bottom of the steps. I was outside when it happened. All I heard was her scream. I came running inside and found her at the bottom of the steps."

"Ok. I'll take her from here. You can wait in the waiting room."

Mia paced through the waiting room annoying the other patients waiting to be seen. She wanted out of the hospital as soon as possible. Every time she saw a police officer her heart stopped. She was afraid they'd be caught at any moment.

Finally, a nurse came out to talk to her. "Your friend has a broken leg and a concussion. She is having trouble coming around. We would like to keep her for the night."

Mia began to panic, "No…no she hates hospitals."

"It is the opinion of the doctor that she should stay. Your friend will have to sign a release stating that she is leaving against medical advice."

"That's fine. Can we go now?"

Mia signed the papers for Sky who could barely hold her own head up and then pushed her out to the waiting car. Just as they pulled out of the lot two police cars sped into the driveway with their lights and sirens on. Vince ducked out of the city as fast as he could. His nerves didn't calm down until he reached the Mexican border..


	58. Scattered by the Winds

Chapter 58

Dom swung the Charger around the corner and cut in between Johnny and Lance causing Lance to hit the side of the car. He flew off the bike and over the hood of the car. Dom jumped out of the car. Dom took hold of Lance's snakeskin jacket and pulled his up from the ground, "Don't ever fuck with me or my family again." With all the force he had Dom pounded his fists into Lance. Flashes of Kenny Lindner and the crash flashed in his memory as Dom unloaded on Lance. He dropped Lance to the ground and drove away to find Johnny.

Brian swerved to avoid the spray of bullets from Johnny's automatic weapon. He had chased him twenty blocks never coming within a few car lengths of the bike. In a moment of desperation Brian hit the nitrous button and flew up past the bike. He pointed his gun out the window and squeezed the trigger. In the side mirror he watched as Johnny lost control of the bike and went down. His limp body floundered and came to rest against the curb.

Brian jumped from his car and weaved his way through the gathering crowd surrounding the body. One look at Johnny Tran's eyes and he knew the man was dead. Brian pulled out his cell phone and made the 911 call. After hanging up the phone he directed the crowd to get out of street and keep a distance from the body. Out of the corner he noticed the black Charger parked beside the Supra. Dom gave him a nod and took off up the hill away from the scene. Brian darted across four lanes of traffic to get back to his car and give chase.

They ended their run at Dom's favorite drag strip back in high school. "That railroad crossing up there is exactly a quarter mile. On green I'm going for it."

Brian nodded his head and got set for the most intense ten seconds of his life. The light turned green and the Charger leapt off the line. Brian watched as Dom pulled away; he pressed his thumb to the nitrous the button and held on as the Supra came even with the Charger. Just as they neared the crossing a train appeared in view. Without fear Dom stomped his foot the accelerator and sped toward the crossing. Brian couldn't show fear in front of the guy he had become to feel like his brother. He pushed the pedal and the nitrous. Both cars made the jump just as the train made it to the crossing.

Both were laughing at the fact they had cheated certain death. Dom didn't see the semi coming into the intersection. He hit the front quarter and the sent the Charger into the air. The car hit hard and fell back on its wheels. Brian rushed to Dom's side to help his friend from the car. "That's not what I had in mind." Dom slid out of the car holding his left arm. "Poetic justice I guess." Sirens blared in the vicinity. Dom accepted his fate and leaned back against the car. Brian took the keys to the Supra out of his pocket and held them out. "Do you know what you're doing?"

"I owe you a ten second car." Brian handed the keys over and watched his friend drive away.

* * *

The ceiling fan spun at full speed, but only managed to move the hot, humid air around. Sky rose up from the bed and tried to get her bearings. Her head throbbed and she wasn't aware of her surroundings. The room would to spin with the slightest movement. "Hello. Can anyone hear me?"

Vince rushed in the room at the sound of his cousin's cries, "I'm here. Are you ok?"

"V where are we?"

"Baja, we made it to the safe house."

"Is everyone here?"

Vince avoided her gaze and got up from the bed. He didn't want to tell her the truth, but knew that she would see through any lie he told, "Me, you, and Mia are the only ones so far."

"How long have we been here?"

"We've been here a couple of days."

"What? Where is everyone at? They all should've been here by now."

"They might be laying low until the border patrol cools off."

"Nah, something's wrong."

"They'll be here before you know it. Go back to sleep, you need the rest."

After a few hours of rest Sky felt more like her self with the exception of her broken leg. She took the crutches from beside the bed and hobbled out of the room. Mia slept safely in Vince's arms on the couch. Sky took a moment to make sure that Vince was sound asleep and then headed for the front door.

The tiny house was situated on the beach miles from the nearest town. This was how she and Dom had decided it should be. They had picked the safe house because of its secluded location. Without access to a car she started to make her way to the road.

It was a long haul to the town taking her three hours to get there on crutches. The town was deserted. Alone on a corner sat the only payphone available for thirty miles. Ten seconds was all she would have to find out as much information she could get. More than that and the feds would know their location. One call to find her family, she picked up the phone and dialed the number to Hector's house.

"This better be good at three o'clock in the morning."

"Yeah matter of fact it is. I need to know where the team is."

"Shit I was wondering when one of you was gonna call. Look here's what I know. Dom made it out of town. Don't know where he went though, just that he made it past the county line. Jesse's in jail and Letty and Leon are critical."

"What? What do you mean that Leon's critical?"

"Tran shot him."

"I got to go." Sky slammed the handset on the receiver. She made her way to the small bar in town and offered five hundred to the first guy who produced a set of keys to a working car. Within ten minutes she was on the road back to L.A.


	59. What's your Breaking Point?

Chapter 59

The road ahead was dark. She drove on through the desert cursing the slow moving car. It had been so long since she last drove an automatic she had no idea how slow they were, but with her left leg strapped into a walking cast there was no other choice. Distance separated her from him and no matter how hard she pushed the pedal the car wouldn't go any faster.

The sun was breaking over the horizon when she finally reached her destination. Once inside the Los Angeles county line she pulled off the highway and found a pay phone. She dialed Hector's number.

"Who the hell is calling at this hour?" Hector was annoyed to be awakened only hours after getting to bed.

"Hector I only have a few minutes. I need to know where Leon's at. What hospital do they have him at?"

"Girl you need to stay out of L.A. Shit's too hot right now."

"It's too late Hector. I'm already here. Where is he?"

"He's at County, ICU."

"Thanks Hector, take care of yourself."

"You do the same girl."

Sky placed the phone back on the receiver and hobbled back to her car. She sat in the car staring at the road ahead of her. There was no way to know what she would find when she arrived at the hospital. Just thinking of Leon lying in a hospital bed brought tears to her eyes. She wiped her eyes and headed to the hospital.

"We got one of them." The detective waved over his commander to the call center set up to monitor Hector and Harry's phone lines.

Bilkens took the headphones from the detective and listened in on the conversation between Hector and Sky. "One of the prime targets is back in the Los Angeles area. I need officers at the ICU to intercept her. Make sure nothing looks suspicious or she'll bolt. We need this one to crack the case."

Sky slipped out of the car and grabbed the crutches out of the backseat. She took a look around at her surroundings searching for anything out of place. Nothing caught her attention. The automatic doors slid open as she approached. Cool air greeted her. The lobby was crowded allowing her to slip unnoticed into the elevator and up to the seventh floor.

"May I help you?" The receptionist asked without looking up at Sky.

"Yes, I need to see Leon Davison."

"Are you a family member?"

"Of course, why else would I be here to see him? Can you stop reading your Cosmo for two seconds and do you job for a change?"

The receptionist looked up and rolled her eyes at Sky, "Yeah. Go through the doors and he's in the second room on the right." She went back to her magazine without waiting for a reply.

With hesitation Sky turned the corner into his room. What she saw terrified her. Leon lie still on the bed with a tube running from his mouth attached to a ventilator. She watched the machine breathe for him. She moved closer and saw the tubes coming from his chest and abdomen. She reached out for his hand. It felt cold in her hand. She searched for any sign of life from him, but found nothing. He was just a shell of his former self. "Leon baby come back to me. You are my life and without you I can't go on. Baby please hear me." He made no response.

Two hands grabbed her from behind, "Skylar Thomas you are under arrest. You have the right to remain silent. If you give up this right any thing you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. Do you understand these rights as I have read them to you?"

"What the fuck? Let go of me. You can't take me away from here." Sky struggled against the grip of the officer. "Let me fucking go." She screamed.

"Don't make this harder than it has to be. We will use force if it is necessary."

"Let me go now. I'm not leaving this room." She bit the officer's hand trying to free her self.

"That's it you asked for it. Jeter help me wrestle her down." The officer's partner came up from behind Sky and took her legs out from under her knocking her to the ground. They pounced on Sky and handcuffed her. They dragged her out of the room screaming and kicking the whole way.

* * *

The gray room had no windows just a large mirrored wall. She knew that on the other side was another room where cops could listen in to the interrogation. They had handcuffed her hands behind her back and sat her in a chair facing the mirrored wall. The overhead light gave the room eerie shading. She sat quietly staring at the mirror waiting for the cops to question her. 

In walked an officer that had worked with Brian on the case, "Are you comfortable Miss Thomas?"

"Of course not, let's get this over with so I can get back to the hospital."

"Right," he said with a hint of sarcasm. "First off I'd like to introduce myself. My name is Detective Hughes. I'll be handling your questioning. Can I get you anything before we start?"

"No thanks."

He sat down at the table and switched on the tape recorder, "This is Detective Hughes interviewing Skylar Thomas on case number 7589440. This is part of an ongoing investigation into the hijacking of transport trucks. Please state your full name and birth date."

"There's no way I'm talking to you. I want my lawyer." Sky leaned back in her chair and stared Hughes down.

He clicked the recorder off, "So you want to do this the hard way. I'll be glad to oblige you." He stood up out of his chair and walked over to where Sky was sitting. "You're going to tell me what I want to know."

"Yeah right, I don't have to answer shit unless my lawyer's present. So get out of my face and go call my lawyer."

"Tell me what I want to know or I will get it out of you my way."

"The whole bad ass cop routine is a bit tired don't you think. Your buddies on the other side of the glass must be dying laughing."

His guttural laugh filled the room, "There's no one on the other side of the glass. It's just you and me. Anything that happens in this room will be your word against mine." His open fist struck her across the face knocking her from the chair to the ground. "That's just a taste of what I'm going to do to you. Now you're going to tell me who was involved in the hijackings."

Sky spit blood from her cut lip in his direction, "Fuck you."

"Need a little more encouragement to cooperate," he landed a kick to her abdomen. "Now answer my question."

"Go to hell."

"You don't like that one huh? How about where is the missing truck driver from the last heist?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Don't play with me little girl. Where is the driver?"

"Look asshole I have no idea what you're talking about. We can do this all day and you'll get the same answer."

"Will I?" Hughes grabbed hold of Sky's broken leg and undid the Velcro straps to her cast. "This should be fun." He slipped the cast off and threw it to the other side of the room. "Tell me where he is."

"Ooh I am so scared of you," she sarcastically taunted him.

"You should be." He gripped hard on the spot of the break in her leg and pressed down with all his body weight. She let out a blood curdling scream. This only made him push harder on the injury. "I can keep this up. How long can you handle the pain?" She tried to wiggle away from his grip to no avail. "Where is the driver?"

"Help." Sky screamed out hoping her cries would be heard by anyone. "Somebody help me."

"No such a hard ass now are we? Cry for me I like it." He continued to put pressure on her leg, but she wouldn't break. He strapped her cast back on and called for a female officer to return Sky to her cell.

She was dragged back to her cell and thrown inside. The officer released her from the cuffs and left the cell. At the sound of the locking of the cell Sky let the tears fall from her eyes.

* * *

/Guess you might be wondering about the rest of the crew and Leon's brothers. They'll all be in the next chapter that I'm currently working on./ 


	60. More Questions than Answers

_Sorry my updates have fallen off, but college work seemed to take over my life for a while. I will work to write more in the next couple of days on another chapter._

Chapter 60

Vince pushed the covers to the side and slowly moved Mia from his chest. He laid her on the couch and went into the back bedroom to check on Sky. Her bed was empty and her crutches missing. "She better not of did what I think she did. Sky where are you?" There was no response to his question. "Skylar Elizabeth you better answer me now." He knew that there wouldn't be a response. "That stubborn headed girl when I get hold of her I'm gonna…"

"What's wrong Vince?" Mia brushed her hand across Vince's shoulder.

"She's gone."

Her hand moved from his shoulder to the side of his face, "She had to do it V." Mia pressed her body close to his. "You aren't going to leave me are you?"

He stared into her deep brown eyes coming under her spell, "No Mia I'm not going to leave you. I promised that I'd take care of you."

"I don't know what I'd do without you. Will you hold me again?"

Vince took her in his arms and held her tight against his chest.

* * *

The scanner had been going wild with APBs on him and the team. He was headed straight for the border, but made a u-turn when he heard about the amount of firepower that was waiting on him. There was only one place left for him to hide. An old friend he hadn't seen in years lived just inside the Nevada state line.

Dom pulled into the parking lot of a tiny diner on the northwest side of Pahrump, Nevada. There were two cars parked in the lot; an old gray sedan and a rusted pickup that had seen better days. He drove the Supra around back to keep it out of sight. His eyes searched the area for any sign of the cops. Reluctantly, he exited the car holding his left arm close to his chest.

The elderly waitress wearing her hair in a tight bun looked up from the counter and gave him a warm smile. She stood up from her relaxed position and greeted him. Dom took a seat at the counter and pulled a menu from in between the sugar container and napkin holder. After looking at it for a few moments he closed it and motioned for the waitress, "I'm ready to order."

"Go ahead young man, what will you have?" She took out her pad from her apron and the pencil from behind her ear.

"Can I get cheeseburger?"

"Sure thing put that right on. What would you like to drink?"

"Coke or Pepsi, whatever you got. Can you tell me if Cecily Martin works tonight?"

"Cecily hasn't worked here in almost a year."

This concerned Dom because only three months before Cecily had told him she still worked at the diner, "Do you know where she works now?"

"Well last I heard she was working in a gentlemen's club in Henderson. A man came in here last year and offered her a good deal of money to work for him. Such a sweet girl I never understood why she took that job."

"Ma'am, could you make that to go please?"

"Sure thing."

Five minutes later he was back on the road heading for Henderson. The club was packed as he entered. The corner to the right of the stage was dark and there was an empty table available. He walked across the club and around the drunks screaming at the women on the stage to take off their clothes. The stage was littered with money of all denominations from ones to fifties. A tall blond in little more than a string as panties spun around the pole to the delight of the audience. Dom took his seat and started scanning the room for Cecily.

After three different dancers graced the stage he was about to give up and find a place for the night when they announced the next dancer. From behind the curtain, Cecily strolled on to the stage wearing a tiny black dress. For the next five minutes he watched as she undressed for the crowd. Dom motioned for the waitress to come over, "How much for a private dance with her?"

"Oh you wanna dance from Lana? Her going rate is 50 for 15 minutes."

"Fine with me," Dom handed the waitress a fifty.

"Follow me. There are a few rules we need to go over. Rule one is you don't touch the dancer. Rule two is you keep you hands on the arms of the chair at all times. Rule three is you keep all body parts away from the dancer and no masturbating either. You break a rule and one of the security staff will see to it that you are shown the door. You got any questions?"

"No."

"Take a seat over there in the blue chair and I'll get Lana."

Dom took his seat as instructed and waited.

Within a few minutes Cecily entered the private room prepared to dance for a client. She recognized him immediately, "What the hell are you doing here Dom? You trying to get me fired?"

"What the hell am I doing here? What are you doing here? Why did you quit the diner?"

"Hey keep your voice down my boss will hear you. Look I have bills to pay and a child to raise. The diner wasn't enough."

"All you had to do was ask and I'd of found the money."

"I can take care of my self. It's really none of your concern."

"Yes it is. You are my concern. I told you if you ever needed anything for you or the baby I would be there."

"Look I make really good money here. We have plenty."

Dom tried to get up from his seat, but she pushed him back by his shoulders. "Fuck." He yelled in pain while holding his left shoulder.

"What the hell?"

"My shoulder is dislocated. I've tried, but can't get it to pop back in."

"What happened?"

"I messed things up bad. Can't talk about it here, when do you get off work?"

"In an hour, here take my house keys and go to my place. It's about fives blocks west of here."

* * *

Sky had one phone call she could make. Instead of calling her lawyer she dialed the number to her aunt's house to check on the boys. "Auntie it's me Sky."

"You better start telling me what's going on cause I've heard all kinds of things on the news."

"Have you heard anything about the rest of the team?"

"Letty is still in the hospital in Intensive Care. She going to pull though the doctors have said. I visited her this morning. Jesse was treated for a gunshot, and then arrested. He's been in jail since."

"Have you heard from the others?"

"I haven't heard anything."

"Are Caleb and Nicholas doing ok?"

"Yes they are doing well and they can stay with me until you get yourself out of this mess."

"Thanks Auntie. How's Leon?"

"I knew you would ask about him and darling I hate to tell you this, but he's still in a coma. I visit him everyday but there has been no change."

"Will you keep visiting him and let me know if anything changes?"

"Of course I will darling. Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"Tell Leon that I love him."


	61. Time for the Truth

Chapter 61

The last of the customers exited the club. Cecily gathered her tip money from around the stage. Zane, one of the bouncers, walked up to the stage and helped her slip on a robe. She thanked him and made her way back to the dressing area. The other dancers were busy removing the makeup caked to their faces. Not in the mood to stick around for a long time Cecily put her tips in her purse and threw on a tracksuit over her g-string and bra. With a wave goodbye to the other dancers Cecily was out the backdoor and on her way to her place five blocks away.

The lights were on at the apartment of her next door neighbor. She knocked lightly on the door. A woman close to Cecily's age answered, "Hey girl how was the perv club tonight?"

"Funny Rachel, very funny. You know if the stripper thing don't work out you might want to try out stand-up comedy. How was my little one tonight?"

"She was an angel as always, didn't give me one problem. I gave her a bath at 9 and put her to bed without a fight. Hey I'll go get her so you can get to bed girl. You look beat."

Cecily with the child in her arms walked across the hall to her place. Dom had left the door unlocked for her. When she entered she could hear a loud banging noise coming from the kitchen. "Dom is that you?" She called out from the hallway. There was no response. "Dominic," Her voice echoed off the walls of the hallway. The child in her arms woke at the sound of her raised voice. "Sorry baby Mommy didn't mean to yell in your ear. Baby I need you to go to your room and lock the door. Do just like we practiced and don't open the door until I give you the magic word."

She watched her little girl run off toward the bedroom. Once the child was safely in her room, she slipped off her heels and walked into her living room. Cecily took the Japanese sword from the wall that was disguised as a wall decoration and unsheathed it. Her plan was to catch the person by surprise. She rounded the corner of the kitchen with the blade of the sword held aloft ready to strike. Fear kept her from stepping into the kitchen. She took a deep breath and rushed into the kitchen to find the noise was coming from Dom. He was standing on the side of the cabinets slamming his shoulder into them. "Dom what the hell are you doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing?" He turned around to face her and noticed the sword resting on her shoulder. "Maybe the question should be what the hell are you doing? Do you normally come into your kitchen with a sword?"

"You didn't answer me when I called out you name. I thought it was one of the Trans tearing the place apart."

"Sorry. I was trying to get my shoulder back in place."

"Any luck?"

"No."

"Let me go tuck Ileana into bed and I will help you." Cecily put the sword back in its sheath and slipped it into the wall mount. She went to her daughter's bedroom door and knocked lightly. "Ileana, it's Mommy."

"What's the magic word please?"

"Narnia," Cecily whispered into the door. It was the name of the land the children in 'The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe' found inside the wardrobe. It was one of Ileana's favorite stories. Cecily read part of the story each night to her child before putting her to bed. The door to the bedroom crept open and the child stepped out from behind it. "Come here baby I want you to see someone before I put you to bed." The child climbed into her outstretched arms. Cecily put the child on her hip and walked into the living room. The little girl got visibly excited at the sight of Dom sitting on the couch. "Who is that Ileana?"

"Uncle Dom, you came to see me." Cecily put the girl on the floor so she could run over to him.

"I can't believe how big you have gotten since I saw you last." Standing in front of him was a bright eyed four year old girl. She had many of her father's Asian features including her round face and shape of her eyes, but she definitely had her mother's smile and long wavy brown hair. He reached out to the child with his good arm.

"Be careful Uncle Dom hurt his arm."

Cecily watched her daughter crawl up into Dom's lap and give him a kiss on the cheek. It had been a while since they had seen each other, but the girl remembered him none the less. To most people Dom was a thug with no redeeming qualities, but within the presence of a child he became this oversize teddy bear.

"How did you get hurt?" The child asked innocently a question that Cecily also wanted the answer to.

Dom thought for a minute on how to approach the answer without scaring the child, "Do you remember the black car that I kept in the garage at my house? The one I let you sit in and pretend that you were driving?" She nodded. "Well I took it out for a drive and had a little accident."

"Are you hurt bad?"

"I'll be ok. Don't you worry."

Cecily left the two to get reacquainted while she took a shower to wash away the smell of the club that clung to her skin. Cecily spent a little extra time in the shower knowing her daughter was safe with Dom. Since the birth of the child Cecily had watched over her closely always afraid that her daughter's father would steal her away. Her life changed the day Ileana was born. She assumed a new name and social security number. She left her life in Los Angeles behind and went into hiding. Only one person knew where she was and their contact was infrequent for fear of being found.

When she stepped out of the bathroom Dom was standing in the hall waiting for her. "So you wanna tell me why you're dancing in that club?"

"I told you already I needed the money."

"Money that I could've easily provided."

"I can handle it ok."

"No not ok. I swore to protect and provide for you and Ileana. I don't go back on my word."

"You haven't gone back on your word Dom." She rested her hand on his chest. "You've taken great care of us, but I can't keep asking for money from you. I have to stand on my own two feet."

He placed his large hand over hers, "Ces…please don't tell me that you're ashamed to take money from me."

"I'm not ashamed. You just have so many people to take care of that I thought I would lessen your burden."

"You're not a burden."

"Yeah whatever you say. Well now that my secret's out in the open, you gonna tell me what the hell happened to you."

"I think we should sit down. I've got a lot to tell you."

"First things first, I need to get that shoulder back in place. Lie down on the living room floor." Dom did as she asked and she took a blanket from the couch and wrapped it around his upper arm. "This going to hurt like hell, are you ready?" He nodded. She placed her feet on his ribcage and positioned herself to pull. "1, 2, 3" she counted off. On three she pulled the ends of the blanket with all her strength. With a pop the shoulder moved back in place. Dom screamed into a pillow he held with his right hand. "Sorry."

Cecily helped Dom get up from the floor and fashioned a sling out of one of her scarves. They made their way to the couch and Cecily handed him a bottle of Jack "for the pain." He took a few drinks and started to tell her what had happened. He told her all about the trucks and about Brian. His entire world had come down around him.

After a few minutes of silence she spoke, "I don't understand why you would make a deal with Johnny in the first place. Three million dollars and you just let him keep it."

"He found you and Ileana." As he spoke the words, fear washed over her face. "When the deal went bad he promised to leave you alone in exchange for the money. Your safety meant a whole lot more than the money."

"Does anyone from the team know that you did this?"

"I gave them another version of the story and they accepted it."

"Then Letty doesn't know that you've been helping me?"

"No she doesn't. No need to unleash the green monster if you know what I mean."

"Yeah that girl has a jealousy streak a mile long."

"Tell me about it and where you're concerned it's all the more worse."

"Can you blame her? Before you went to Lompoc we were pretty serious."

"If I hadn't of went in maybe things would've been different?"

"Don't start that shit again. You're going to prison didn't get my brother Diego killed and it sure wasn't the reason I ended up with Johnny Tran."

"Diego got shot trying to keep Tran from taking over. If I had been out that wouldn't have been an issue." Dom grinded his teeth as the anger built inside of him. "Johnny took you from your family and what he did to you…"

"But as soon as you got out you took me away from him. Me and little girl in there are alive because of you. He would've killed me if he knew that I was pregnant with his child."

"You don't ever have to fear him again. I watched Brian gun him down. Johnny's dead." He let the news set in. "You're free to live where you want and be who you want to be. But, I've got to leave you again. The cops'll be on my trail soon and I can't risk you going to jail over helping me."

"You're not leaving without me."


	62. Jailhouse Blues

Chapter 62

_The rays of the sun bounced off the water and reflected in his eyes. They were standing in the water only inches apart. "God I can't believe I'm thinking about him this way," she said to herself. "Kiss me," she pleaded inside. She leaned closer to him waiting for him to notice. Her heart beat quickly. His grip on her waist loosened. She took that as a sign that he didn't want her in that way and she slipped away from him back to the car. She grabbed the towel out of the front seat and began to dry off. He was standing behind her. She whipped around to face him, "Leon…I". His lips met hers. Sky was lost in his touch. _

"You have a visitor." The loud slamming open of the cell door shocked her from the memory of their first kiss.

"What? Who?"

"How the hell am I supposed to know? Get your ass up and go to the visiting room."

"Sorry." Sky jumped from the bed and squeeze in between the door jamb and the guard. She walked a small distance to the visiting room located on her floor. The room consisted two rows of metal desks and chairs separated by a thick bulletproof glass. She was directed to desk number 5. A smile appeared on her face when she saw who had come to visit her. She sat down and picked up the handset hanging on the wall, "You're a sight for sore eyes."

"Couldn't go without seeing a sexy thing like you," Hector put his hand up against the glass and waited for Sky to do the same. "How ya holding up?"

"I've been better. A week in here is like an eternity. I want out of here so bad you don't even know. There are so many people who need me and I can't do anything from in here."

"Girl I know and I'm doing my best to figure out a way to get you out."

"You've always been there for us Hector. God don't know what we'd do without you. Have you seen Jess yet?"

"Yes."

"How's he doing and don't sugarcoat it like my aunt did? Tell me the truth."

"He's scared out of his mind and jumpier than normal. Looks like he ain't slept since he got in there, but other than that he's doing fine."

"You've got to get him out first. I can handle this standing on my head, but I'm afraid they're going to break him and he'll tell them everything he knows. He's just a kid and without one of us to watch over him he could get hurt."

"I'm not going to leave you in here. I'll work out something to get you both out. When's your arraignment?"

"Tomorrow. The Feds have pulled some shit keeping us locked up this long without seeing the judge. My guess the bail's gonna be extremely high."

"Don't worry, no matter how much it is I'll find a way to raise the cash. You want your surprise now?"

A look of confusion washed across Sky's face, "What surprise?"

"Hold on." Hector pulled out his cellphone and dialed. "I'm sitting right in front of her." He said to the person on the cellphone. "You're going to have to speak loud for her to hear you." Hector took his cellphone and placed it upside down on the jail handset.

"Hello beautiful." The voice came through loud and clear.

Goosebumps raised on her arms hearing the voice on the other line, "Oh my god, Leon."

"Yeah it's me baby girl. I know we don't have long, but I just had to hear your voice."

Tears of joy trickled from her eyes onto the orange jumpsuit she wore, "Leon I love you so much. I tried to get to you."

"Baby I know. The nurses told me what happened. I promise I'm gonna get you out of this shit. I love you baby."

A male guard tapped Sky on the shoulder, "Time's up Thomas wrap it up."

Sky looked at him with pleading in her eyes, "Please just a few minutes more."

"Bitch I told you to wrap it up." The guard reached for his radio. "I need assistance in the visiting area on third floor west. Now get off the fucking phone."

Sky turned her attention back to the phone, "Baby I've got to go."

"Take care of yourself in there and we'll be together before you know it. Love ya baby."

Before Sky could respond the guard ripped the phone from her grip and slammed it down on the hook. He grabbed her around the throat in a choke hold and threw her to the ground. Hector banged on the glass from the other side screaming for the guard to stop. Within seconds three more officers rushed into the room and restrained Sky in handcuffs and shackles carrying her away out of the room.

* * *

The courtroom was packed with spectators as they led both Sky and Jesse in front of the judge. Sky wore the injuries received at the hands of the guards from the day before, a swollen lip and bruised cheek. Her eyes scanned the audience for familiar faces. In the front row sat Harry, Hector, and his crew. They waved at her and Jess. The prosecutor began to speak, "We have Skylar Elizabeth Thomas and Jesse David Lykens held on felony charges of grand theft, grand theft auto, kidnapping…"

The dizzying list of charges being read off got a response of 'whoa' after each charge was read. Sky just looked down at her shoes and laughed. She wondered what kind of case they really had on the team or was this just another scare tactic to get one of them to confess. Without Spilner, O'Conner, or whatever his name was the feds didn't have a case. The cars were long gone along with any other physical evidence that could link the team to the hijackings.

The judge looked over to Jess, Sky, and their lawyer, "How do the defendants plead?"

"Not guilty." The lawyer answered for them.

"Do you have any recommendations for bail amounts prosecutor?" The judge questioned.

"We recommend no bail due to the flight risk."

"I will take that into consideration. Defense, do you have anything to add?"

"The State has no evidence or case against my clients. There is no flight risk as the defendant Mr. Lykens' brother is in intensive care and he would not leave his brother in such a condition."

"The defendants face serious charges of a violent nature due to this I am ordering a bail of $100,000 cash on each defendant."

The sound of the gavel hitting the wood echoed through the court. Sky shook her head knowing that her and Jess wouldn't be seeing the outside for a while.

Harry leaned over to Hector and whispered into his ear, "Is the plan set?"

Hector laughed, "We're ready to roll."


	63. Does Anybody Got that Get Out of Jail Fr...

Chapter 63

The realization that she was never going to escape the situation she was in hit Sky like a ton of bricks. She heard the judge say $100,000 each and her heart sank. No one on the scene had that kind of money on hand. Jesse was staring at her with pleading eyes looking for a sign as what to do. She had no answers for him this time. She was trapped with no means of escape. There was no one to ride in and save her from the mess she was in this time.

Together they were led from the courtroom only to be separated in the corridor. Jesse kept his eyes locked on Sky until she rounded the corner out of his sight. Fear swept over him like a crushing wave. He began to panic. His breathing became labored and his skin clammy. His knees buckled and he hit the floor with a thud. "Get up." The guard demanded pulling Jesse up by his arms. "Get the fuck up."

"Sky help me please. I can't go back in there. Please help me. Sky…" Jesse's screams bounced off the walls of the corridor.

Her maternal instinct took over and Sky bolted from the guards holding her. Thankful that the cast on her leg prevented the guards from putting shackles around her ankles she hobbled towards the sound of his screams. The guards holding Jesse were pounding him with their clubs as he lay in the fetal position on the floor screaming. "Get the hell off of him. Stop before you kill him." She flung her body over his to shield him from the blows. "Shh it's ok Jess. I'm here."

"I can't go back." He managed to mumble through his tears.

"Jess everything will work out I promise. I'm going to get you out of this."

"I'm so scared."

"I know. I'm scared too. Hector's working on a way to get you out. Just be patient." Sky gently pressed her lips to his cheek. "I'll make it better Jess just hold on for a bit longer." The guards pulled Sky to her feet and separated the pair.

Hector and Harry were unaware of the commotion in the hall outside the courtroom. Their only concern was getting to the cashier and posting the bail for both Jesse and Sky. The night before the hearing Hector had held a racing event to raise enough money to get them both released. What they didn't make from the event Harry covered. It didn't matter to either of them the money they put up. They just wanted Jess and Sky out of that place.

"It will take one hour to process the release and then you can pick up your friends in Room 105. Can I do anything else for you today?" The cashier behind the desk said with a hint of flirtation.

"Can I get your name and number?" Hector decided he might as well get a little something out of the deal.

"I'm really not supposed to do this, but here." She slipped him a note with her name and number. "Call me and we can set something up."

"Sure thing," Hector took a moment to look at the note to get the girl's name. "Rachel."

Harry grabbed Hector by the shoulder and led him away, "Come on Don Juan we've got things to do."

Jesse was dragged by his cuffed arms back to his scale. The guards left him on the bed handcuffed behind his back. They were laughing as they shut and locked the door. In a panic to get released Jesse started kicking the walls and making another commotion. "Let me out of here. Let me go." He screamed over and over for nearly an hour until his voice became hoarse and then non-existent. His eyes became heavy and try as he might he couldn't fight the sleep that took over him.

"Wake up Lykens, you're out of here. Your bail has been posted."

"What?" Jesse said wiping the sleep from his eyes.

"Your bail has been posted." The guard yelled.

"Really? Hell yeah get me out of here."

Jesse was led into a holding room where Sky was waiting for him, "Sky," he yelled as he wrapped his arms around her.

"Told you everything was going to be alright, you should never doubt me."

"What are we waiting on?"

"GPS ankle boxes, they've determined that we'd be flight risks so we have to wear tracking devices. It's not a big deal. They're just damn uncomfortable."

"You ever wore one?"

"Yeah and I hated it. We won't be able to leave Los Angeles County though. Part of the deal for our release it that we stay within the county lines or they'll haul us back to jail."

"Better than being in here."

"You got that right."

"Mr. Lykens and Miss Thomas please approach the counter," the pudgy guard waddled his way around the counter. "Please lift your right pants leg." He locked an ankle unit on Jesse and then another on Sky. "You are now free to go. Proceed out the door to the right and down the hall to the exit."

He didn't have to tell them twice. They practically ran for the door and down the hall. A member of Hector's crew was waiting for them at the exit. "Yo, sup Sky, Jess? Where do you need to go? I'm at your service today."

Sky gave the man a small peck on the cheek, "Thanks Mateo. The only place I really need to go is the hospital. You want to come with me Jess?"

"If you don't mind I'd rather head home."

"No problem Jess, Mateo can drop you off on the way." It bothered Sky that Jess didn't want to go see Leon, but she wouldn't pressure him since the kid had been through so much. She shrugged it off and focused on what else she needed to accomplish now that she was free again.

After dropping off Jesse at the house, Mateo and Sky continued to the hospital. A kiss from Leon would make her day she thought as they stepped off the elevator to his floor. A few people whispered as they walked past. Sky strained to hear their comments. It seemed that the team's recent appearances on the nightly news had made them all famous or notorious might be the better word. Whatever, she thought giving not much attention to the scrutiny of others. An officer was standing guard outside of Leon's room when they finally arrived. "No visitors, Mr. Davison is under arrest."

Sky fumed, "No there is no way you are keeping me from him. Get the fuck out of my way."

"I said no visitors. Leave and I won't have to put you under arrest."

Sky lifted her right pants leg, "Yo dumbass I just got out. Now move out of my way and let me see him before I give you a reason to arrest me."

"Look ma'am I am only doing my job. I was told that no one is to go in that room other than hospital staff."

"Please let me have just five minutes with him. You don't know how badly I need to see him."

"Do you think I give a shit what some thief wants? Leave or I'll have you escorted out."

"Alleged thief," Sky corrected him. "Nothing's been proven. You know, innocent until proven guilty."

"I'm sure that's what your dad thought when you…" The guard mumbled the rest of his statement.

"What the fuck did you say?" It took everything Mateo had to keep Sky from trouncing the guard. He pulled her by her waist out of the ICU.

After letting her rant and rave for a full 45 minutes, Mateo got Sky to calm down long enough to figure out where she needed to go next. "My aunt's house, I've got to go check on the boys and let Auntie know that Vince's alright."

The car pulled up in front of the beige stucco home. Exiting the car they could hear the boys giggling in the backyard. With Mateo's help Sky hobbled up the driveway and around to the backyard. The boys' faces lit up when they saw her. Both of them ran into her outstretched arms. "How have my boys been?"

"They've been perfect angels," Sky's aunt said through the screen door. "Nice to see you remembered how to get here."

"I'm sorry I've been so much trouble." She said kicking at the pebbles under her feet.

Auntie came down from the steps and gave her a big hug, "You are just like your mother. She was trouble too. It made me love her even more. Life's exciting with you around, never a dull moment."

"24-7 action and adventure."

"Yes you are. I'm glad you're here because I need to speak with you alone."

Sky knew something was wrong just by the tone her aunt used, "Do I want to know?"

"Probably not, but I'm going to tell you any way. Step over here by the laundry line." They walked across the yard to the line. "I called the hospital a couple of days ago to speak with Lois and she had checked herself out."

"What? Has she come here for the boys?"

"She hasn't called or came by."

"Do the boys know?"

"No I didn't want to upset them, not that I think they'd notice. Those boys have been through hell living with her and their father. They are scared of their own shadows. Every night they have nightmares and the only person they've asked for is you."

A tiny tear escaped her eye as she looked over at the two little boys playing in the sandbox. "I should've been there for them."

Auntie placed her hand on Sky's shoulder, "You can't save the world. You did what you thought was best. The important thing is you're here now."

"Do you mind if I take them home with me? I'm out on bail until the trial."

"I think that'd be a great idea. I'm not s spring chicken anymore and running after two little ones is hard work. It's been over twenty years since Vincent was that little."

"Oh I almost forgot to tell you about V. He's with Mia and they're safe."

"Now that's some of the best news I've had all day. Come inside with me and we'll get the boys' things together."

Sorry this doesn't really get to a good point to stop, but I am working on the next chapter to post.


	64. Insane Plans

_Thought I shouldn't make y'all wait a month to get the next chapter and went to work on it immediately after I posted chapter 63. Thanks for the great reviews._

_greenglowchassis – I'm not going to give anything away about how the story's going to go or the twists I have planned, but the answer to your question about the trial is answered in this chapter so you don't have to wait too long to find out._

Chapter 64

Auntie helped secure the boys in the back of Mateo's car. She turned to Sky and touched her softly on the face, "My sweet baby I pray someday you find the peace you deserve."

Sky put her hand on top of her aunt's, "Seems like that's highly unlikely now. All we can do now is hope for a miracle." She kissed her aunt goodbye and slipped into the car before the tears began to fall. Every part of her being wanted to break down, but she had two little boys and one at home that were depending on her to take care of them and she wouldn't let them down.

Every light in the house was on when they pulled into the driveway. Sky popped out of the car, told Mateo to keep an eye on the boys, and rushed into the house. "Jess are you here?" She called out from the living room. "Jesse?" When no one answered she began searching the rooms one by one. His cries led her to the basement where she found him huddled in the corner of her and Leon's bedroom. "What's wrong?" She stroked his hair trying to calm him.

"It my fault, all of it, it's my fault."

"What's you fault Jesse?"

"Everything…I raced Tran for slips and lost my dad's car. I panicked. I was so scared that my dad would be mad that I just took off. I should've stayed with you guys. I caused everyone to get hurt. Letty, Leon, and you…you almost died cause I wasn't there to do my job. I'm the reason Leon got shot by Tran. I fucked up."

"Hold up Jess. You made one mistake, but that didn't cause all of this. We never prepared to deal with a trucker with a gun. That was mine and Dom's fault for not planning for the unexpected and as for Leon he seems to have a knack for riding up on his white horse to save people so he was bound to get hit in the crossfire eventually."

"But…"

"No more buts. Understand that crazy fuckers like Johnny Tran will do shit like that. I mean seriously who shoots somebody over a car. He was a lunatic bound to go off on someone. It was only a matter of time before he lost it and the fight at Race Wars was just enough to send him over the edge. His ego got squashed in front of all of Race Wars. Dom beat his ass and he wanted pay Dom back."

"You're wrong this time Sky. It is my fault." Jesse stood up and pushed past Sky. He was out the door and gone before Sky could catch him with her bum leg.

Mateo was waiting for her at the front door wondering if he should call Hector and let him know how things were going down. He saw Jess bolt out the door and head down the street. He would've gone after Jesse, but he couldn't leave the kids alone in the backseat. She appeared at the door and just shook her head in defeat. Mateo helped her get the boys in the house and said goodnight.

The house was just as they had left it the morning of Race Wars except now it was eerily quiet. Suddenly Sky missed the excruciating sound of the Playstation blasting from the television at full volume, Letty laughing as she kicked Leon's ass in yet another race. The house had life when the team was there, but it just felt empty now that the team was scattered. Little Caleb stood in front of her while she was lost in her thoughts. He tugged at her shirt, "Up, up." His arms were stretched upward.

"Up huh? Would you like me to hold you?"

"Uh-huh."

"Ok baby I can do that. Come here little one." She reached down and picked him up and placed him on her hip. "Now where is your brother Nicholas?" Caleb shrugged his shoulders. "We should go find him and make sure he's not getting into anything." Sky entered the kitchen to find Nicholas sitting in the corner reading a magazine. As soon as he saw her he tried to hide it. "What ya got there Nicky?"

His face showed the fear of getting busted in the act, "Nothing, I don't have anything."

"Now we both know that's not the truth. Please tell me what you have there."

"Promise not to get mad."

"I promise."

"Here." Nicholas handed the magazine to Sky.

She almost laughed when she saw what it was, "It's a car magazine."

"I got it from Uncle Jesse's room. I'm sorry I took it."

Sky placed her hand on his shoulder, "I don't think that Uncle Jesse would mind that you have one of his magazines, but you should ask first. Would you like me to read it to you and Caleb?"

"Really," Nicholas jumped off the floor.

"Let's go sit on the couch in the living room and I'll read to you both until you fall asleep." She held his hand and they walked to the couch together. She sat the boys on either side of her and began to read the first article, a story about a motor swap for a '96 Eclipse. Caleb was the first to close his eyes and lay his head on Sky's lap. Nicholas tried to keep his focus until the end of the fifth article that Sky read, but her soothing voice put him out as well. Then she realized how unprepared she was for them to fall asleep on her. There were no blankets in sight to throw over the boys as they slept and she was sandwiched between them.

Out from the kitchen came Jesse to save the day, he had been watching Sky with the boys for the last half hour. "Sorry I ran off."

"There's nothing to apologize for Jess. Thanks for getting the blankets."

"No problem."

A noise came from the backdoor that got both their attentions. In walked Hector, Harry and their lawyer. "Hey guys what's up with the late night visit?" Sky questioned.

The lawyer was the first answer, "We've had a look at the evidence against the team. The prosecutor only has solid evidence on Sky. The truck driver from the first heist has positively identified you as the person that hijacked the truck. They're hoping to get you to turn state's evidence. They're prepared to offer you a suspended sentence with three years probation in exchange for your testimony against the team."

Sky gave her answer quickly, "No way, never. I won't turn on my family."

Hector smiled, "Girl we knew that'd be your answer. That's why we're here. It's time to go sweetheart."

"Go where Hector? I've got the boys now."

"Yeah I know. Your aunt is in on this too. The kids are going with you."

"I can't leave Leon and Letty, I won't."

"Will you just shut up and let me handle it? I've got everything under control. Trust me Sky have I ever steered you wrong?"

"No."

"Well then let's get the show on the road. First things first, Sky hold out your right leg." Hector started fiddling with the ankle unit.

"Wait Hector you'll set it off." Sky tried to pull her leg out of his grip.

"Give me a chance." He put an electronic device on the unit and popped it off without a hitch. "Jess you're next." He removed Jesse's unit and rushed everyone out the door. "Don't worry about anything we've taken care of it all." Each person took their turn scaling the fence in the backyard without the detectives in the unmarked police car out front catching on to their escape.

* * *

The nurse said hello to the officer as she approached Letty's room. "Ms. Gonzales needs to be taken down to radiology for some tests. She will need to be sedated for the exam. Would you please be in the room to supervise?"

"Yes ma'am." The officer followed the nurse into the room.

Letty looked ready to spit venom at the officer. Her stay in the hospital had been anything but pleasant with the constant poking and prodding by the doctors and nurses all under the watchful eye of an officer to be sure she didn't escape. The nurse put the syringe into her IV line and the room became foggy and then dark. Two orderlies came into the room and placed her onto a gurney for transport out of the room. The nurse winked at one of the orderlies as they pushed Letty out of the room.

On another floor the same thing was happening in Leon's room. The guard watched two orderlies wheel a sedated Leon out of the room and onto the elevator. The officer didn't go with them to radiology as Leon was sedated and wouldn't be able to run.

The two sets of orderlies met in the loading dock with their unconscious patients. A delivery truck pulled up and the rear door rolled up revealing Sky, Jesse, and the boys. The orderlies pushed the gurneys into the truck and helped Sky to secure both of them for the long drive ahead. A familiar face came running up to the truck as Sky was tightening the last strap on Letty's gurney. "Hey girl long time no see."

"Eva." Sky wrapped her arms around the brunette woman in a nurse's uniform. "What are you doing here?"

"Giving you everything you're going to need to take care of them." She handed Sky two large boxes of supplies. "There's one box for each of them. I included both of their charts. Each of them need daily medication and there's some antibiotics incase they develop an infection. Sky you are going to have to watch them closely. We sedated them so the trip wouldn't cause any more traumas to their bodies. The rest is up to you."

"Thank you so much. I'll never be able to repay you for what you've done for me."

"Don't worry about it. I have something else for you." She took out a thick letter envelope and handed to Sky. "Read this when you're alone. It's important."

"I will."

Eva turned to go, but turned back one last time. "By the way, he's fine. Girl hold on to that one."

"I plan on it." Sky rolled down the door to the truck and secured it. She took her place beside Leon and pulled Caleb into her lap. Nicholas crawled into Jesse's lap and waited for him to continue the article he had been reading to him before they arrived at the hospital.

"We're out of here," Hector called out from the driver's seat.


	65. The Great Escape

_Reviews…many reviews, I can't tell you how excited I was to get so many reviews on one chapter. For those who don't remember the character Eva she appeared toward the beginning of the story as a nurse that took care of Sky and then became Vince's girlfriend, the one he never got over._

Chapter 65

"Hey Hector, how long before we get to the safe house?" Sky was exhausted having not had much sleep in the last twenty four hours.

"Takes about three hours to get there that is if we don't have too much trouble at the border."

"I thought you said you had everything set up."

"I do. It's just that it took a little longer than I thought to get Leon and Letty from the hospital. I bought us a window at the border, but it's a small window and we are coming up on the deadline to get through." Hector noticed the worried look on Sky's face. "Don't worry girl, I'll get you guys there."

"Thanks boy, ya know I love you." Sky leaned back in her seat and repositioned a sleeping Caleb on her lap. Once she got him settled on her lap she pulled out the envelope that Eva had given her at the hospital. The envelope contained letter written on a few pages. There was also a picture inside the envelope of a dark haired little girl with ringlet curls and bright blue eyes. Sky assumed that the picture was of Eva's daughter. She was truly a beautiful child with angelic features. She slipped the photo back into the envelope and turned her attention to the letter.

_Hello Sky,_

_Girl I don't know how to start this letter or to tell you what I have to tell you. Where do I begin? I guess that I should start with the day Vince put you on the plane to New Jersey. To let you go killed a part of him. His heart was ripped out and no matter how hard I tried I couldn't help him. Then you ran away from your grandparents and his worry doubled. Not knowing where you were or if you were alright, he changed. He wasn't the Vince that everyone knew. He was a darker and angrier version of himself. He drank to deal with his pain and when that quit working he found other means. I didn't know how bad it was until I walked in on him injecting morphine into his vein. With Dom's help I got Vince into rehab and stuck by his side until he was able to kick it. I could never give up on him. Things went well for a couple of years and then he relapsed. Something, I don't know what, sent him over the edge. I put up with a lot from him during that time. The last straw came when I caught him in bed with another woman shooting up. I had to walk away. I knew that he'd never change until he hit rock bottom and I just couldn't be there to watch him fall. After I left Dom forced him back into treatment and from what I've seen from a distance he's doing better._

_I began seeing a doctor I worked with shortly after me and Vince broke up. Greg was my rebound what can I say. I just didn't want to hurt anymore and I thought that if I fell in love with someone else the pain from losing Vince would dull. I slept with Greg on our first date and regretted it immediately. I wanted to get Vince back for sleeping around on me and in the end it just hurt me more. I tried to get over the pain of losing Vince, but the pain never really went away and no matter how hard I tried to make something happen with the other guy it just didn't feel right. I decided to end it with Greg. I told myself that the next time I saw him I'd tell it was over. Then I missed my period. I ran to the store and bought five pregnancy tests. Each one came back positive. There I was pregnant with a child and I didn't know who the father was. Greg offered to marry me and raise the baby together as he assumed she was his. For some reasons I don't even understand I said yes. I said yes to a man I didn't love._

_Sky I tried to fall in love with him. I really did. Greg was the best husband and took care of me throughout my pregnancy. The moment he first looked at our daughter, Lily, he fell in love with her. For the last three years he has been everything to me and Lily, but it never felt right. Last week I finally told him how I felt and he was devastated. He cried and begged me not to leave. He was so crushed that I couldn't tell him that our daughter might not be his. It would have been too much to bear. And as far as I know she may very well be his, I just don't know. _

_Someday when you guys get out of the mess you're in please let Vince read this. I want him to know and maybe someday he'll forgive me for not telling him sooner that he might have a daughter. I did what I thought was best at the time and I'll make no apologies for that. _

_Sky take care of him for me. I still love him with all my heart._

_Love,_

_Eva_

Sky sat staring at the words in shock. To believe that Vince could possibly be a father was something she couldn't wrap her mind around. She looked around the back of the truck at her family that surrounded her. Jesse was fast asleep leaning his head against the side of the truck with Nicholas curled up on his lap. On his head Nicholas wore Jesse's favorite beanie. Their features softened in the moonlight and for the first time Sky really saw how young Jesse was. He'd always tried to be just like the other guys in the team, but he really was just a kid.

The truck began to slow and come to a stop. Hector popped his head into the back of the truck, "Got to go talk to someone. I'll be right back."

Sky took the opportunity to check on Letty and Leon who were both still sedated. She placed Caleb on her seat and went to Letty's side first. She took Letty's wrist in her hand and checked her pulse. She then reached over and did the same for Leon. She couldn't help, but run her hand across his face. The stubble normally present on Leon's face had turned into a full beard. She also noticed that the fine lines in his face seemed more visible as if the wounds had aged him.

The sound of the driver's side door closing startled her. "We're ten minutes away if you want to start getting them ready."

"Thanks Hector." Gently she shook Jesse awake, "Hey wake up Jess. I'm going to need your help."

"Huh? What?" Jess wiped at his eyes trying to brush the sleep away.

"We're almost there. It's time to wake up and help me get them ready."

"Yeah, I can do that." Jess laid Nicholas down in his seat and stood up unsteadily in the moving truck. "What ya need me to do?"

"Make sure all of Letty's IV lines and tubes are not caught on anything and secure them under the covers if you can. I've got a feeling this is going to be a fast drop off." Sky worked to do the same with Leon. They could be out of the truck in a matter of seconds now that everything was secured.

The truck came to a screeching halt and Hector slammed the gearshift in park. Sky raised the door on the back of the truck and jumped down from the tailgate. She ran into the house to wake Vince. She first looked in his room, but found the bed empty. It appeared if he wasn't using the room much as it was too clean to house the coyote. She next searched her bedroom and again found it empty. Fear that Mia and Vince had run into trouble washed over her in a wave of anxiety. The other bedrooms near Sky's produced the same result, empty rooms with their contents undisturbed. One last bedroom needed to be checked. The bedroom sat at the end of the hall, a small distance from the others. Mia had chosen the room when she, Vince, and Sky arrived at the house. Quietly Sky approached the door and knocked lightly. No answer came from inside. She reached down and turned the knob. Light from the hallway flooded into the room revealing Vince and Mia curled up together with only a sheet covering their naked bodies. A lump formed in Sky's throat. This wasn't what she wanted to find behind the door. Angry at the sight of Mia and Vince together she slammed the door behind her and ran out of the house.


	66. A Second Chance

_Two chapters posted this time so don't forget to read Chapter 65 first. _

Chapter 66

"Ces, I watched the car flip over and over. It was like everything was in slow motion." The emotion he had kept at bay flooded to the surface. "I didn't turn back for them. All I cared about was the job."

Cecily stroked his hand, "You know that's not true. What could you have done? You needed to help Vince. Sometimes you have to make critical decisions in the heat of the moment. Don't second guess yourself."

"And I chose my best friend over the woman I loved." He put his head down on Cecily's lap and sobbed.

Seeing him like that brought Cecily back to that fateful day when her life went from a dream to a living nightmare. With soft gentle strokes on his head she tried to comfort him while letting the memories come flooding into her mind.

_Flashback_

_Sunlight broke over the horizon in a burst of orange and yellow. It was a beautiful clear morning, a rarity in Los Angeles. The backdoor to the large white house was wide open. Cecily called in through the door, "Hello is anyone here?"_

_Nino, Dom and Mia's father, stepped into the kitchen. He was a man of similar build to Dom with jet black hair cut short. He was wearing a simple white t-shirt and his race suit with the sleeves wrapped around his waist. "Well if it isn't my favorite daughter-in-law to be."_

"_Better be your only daughter-in-law to be." Cecily walked up to him and was instantly enveloped in his strong arms. _

_He leaned back slightly and stared down at the tiny young woman, "How on earth did my son get so lucky?"_

"_I'm the lucky one Nino."_

"_Well my dear I insist that you come over to the table and have a cup of coffee with me. It'll be at least another 20 minutes before Mia is ready to go. Since she became a teenager neither me nor Dom can get a moment in the bathroom. I'm thinking about adding a second one in the basement."_

"_Be careful. If you add a bathroom down there then Vince may never leave. How long has he been living in your basement?"_

"_About six months now. I believe you're right. If I put a bathroom down there he'll stay indefinitely." They both laughed at the thought of Vince being in the Toretto house forever. He had moved in with the family when his mom's house had become too crowded with the addition of her new husband and his three kids. Vince was never one for hanging out in a house full of kids under the age of 10. Vince's mom hated to see him go, but knew it really wasn't a comfortable situation for him. When Vince's dad died from a heart attack when Vince was in the fifth grade he never imagined his mom would ever move on. She of course did after many years alone and Vince had a hard time dealing with it. Vince's mom hoped with time he'd come to respect his stepfather, but for the time being they'd keep their distance. _

_The diamond on Cecily's ring caught the sunlight streaming through the back window and sparkled brightly. Nino took her hand in his and looked at the ring, "I still remember in vivid detail the day I gave this very ring to Rosalie. She was the most beautiful woman I had ever looked upon, but that day her face glowed with a beauty indescribable and you know what?"_

"_What?" Cecily tilted her head slightly to the right._

"_I see that same beauty in you. I'm so happy that my son found you."_

_A tiny tear slipped down her cheek, "Oh Nino. You just know how to get to me. Now I know where your son gets it from."_

"_Gets what?" Dom walked into the room at the tail end of the conversation. _

_Cecily got up from the table and walked over to Dom placing a sweet kiss on his cheek before whispering to him, "Nothing baby."_

"_You're a terrible liar, but I'll let it slip this time. Hey Pops are we ready to head out?"_

"_Is your sister out of the bathroom?" Nino was beginning to show his impatience with the young Mia._

"_I'll get her." Dom left the room and walked to the bottom of the steps leading to the second floor. "Mia get your ass out of the bathroom before I come up there and pull you out myself."_

_The young girl stormed down the stairs, "Can't a girl get a little time in the bathroom alone."_

"_No. We're gonna be late because of you. Now get your ass in the truck so we can go. Dad…Ces, we're ready to go. Where's Vince?"_

"_Right behind you brother. The truck's been loaded."_

"_Let's go then." Dom commanded. Everyone filed out of the house and into the truck. _

_Race day was always chaotic and that day was no exception. Cecily and Mia took their positions seated on a platform above the crew. Cecily's job for each race was to record the statistics and this gave her a bird's eye view of the track. Mia sat beside her reading some women's magazine meant to instruct a woman on how to dress and behave. Vince and Dom worked as part of the pit crew. It was a family affair and many on the pit crew were either relatives or friends so close they were considered family._

_The race began like any other with racers battling for position with each lap. Nino had the lead going into the final turn of the race. The entire pit crew was on their feet ready to celebrate another well earned victory. Then the unthinkable happened. Another car slipped its front bumper under Nino's car sending him into the wall at 180mph. Everyone held their breath waiting for Nino to remove the netting from the driver's side window indicating that he was ok. There was no movement in the car and in a flash an explosion rocked the track as the tank blew. Dom rushed over the wall trying to get to his dad. His screams were audible over the roar of the engines of nearby cars and the sirens of the rescue team. The crew rushed to hold him down and keep him from rushing to the burning car. "Vince get Mia." Cecily yelled out as she rushed to Dom's side. Her arms wrapped around him and he collapsed into her. _

_A week after the accident Dom went to the track to collect his dad's things. He saw the man that had caused his dad's accident, Kenny Lindner. When the police knocked on the door of the Toretto residence Cecily thought Dom had been in an accident. She could never have imagined Dom was capable of almost killing a man. The officers detailed every injury suffered by Kenny Lindner. _

_There were witnesses to the beating making it impossible for Dom to escape jail time. Many spoke of his lack of remorse for the beating and the brutality of the unprovoked attack. All Cecily could do was watch in horror as the jury recommended a two year sentence in prison. The judge passed the sentence immediately and order Dom transferred to Lompoc. _

_Her world came crashing down on her in that moment. Mia was sent to live with relatives and Vince went back to his mother's home. She found herself alone again. With only one person left to turn to she went to stay with her brother Diego. He was one of the racers in the scene. With Dom locked up there was an empty spot at the top with many racers vying for the title of King of Los Angeles. No one suspected that Johnny Tran would make a play for the position. His gang swept in leaving a trail of disaster in their wake. Cecily watched as her brother was gunned down trying to save her from Johnny Tran's unwanted advances. _

_Johnny kidnapped her keeping her prisoner in the basement of a secluded location until she finally accepted her situation and became his. Her heart belonged to Dom, but her body was Johnny Tran's property. Her every move was watched by his henchmen leaving no chance of escape. Many times she thought of turning to suicide to end her suffering. _

_Two years of hell passed before Dom set her free, but by then his heart belonged to another. Cecily accepted that her place now belonged to Letty. She tried to give the engagement ring back to Dom before she left, but he wouldn't accept it. "You're the only woman that I'll ever want to be my wife, but I don't deserve to have you. I'll never love another the way I loved you." His words etched in her soul forever. They said their goodbye and parted ways._

_End Flashback_

Somehow he had found his way back into her arms. She wanted to keep him there for eternity. They had before them a second chance at happiness. "Dom, we should leave before the sun rises. We'll get farther under the cover of darkness." He silently agreed and helped her gather the things they'd need on their journey. Cecily, Dom, and the baby loaded into the car. One last look was all Cecily had time for. She left behind the life she had built alone for what she hoped was a life of happiness with Dom.


	67. A New Home

_I know, I know…it has taken me forever to update. What can I say, been so busy with this and that I haven't had much time to write. I have also been suffering the worst writer's block I've ever had. Just need some inspiration I guess. Anyway, thanks for the reviews for the last two chapters._

_I understand the unhappiness with the Dom/Letty/Cecily situation. It wouldn't be right unless Dom and Letty's relationship hit a few snags along the way. I don't know if they will end up together in the end, but for now Dom and Cecily are together on the run._

_And now on with the chapter and as always read and review, they inspire me._

Chapter 67

Sky stomped out of the house with a look of anger upon her face. Hector and Jesse took it as a sign that all was not right. They decided not to even ask in fear of bringing her wrath down on them. She was the first to speak, "Jess, help me get the boys inside and onto the couch. Since we didn't anticipate bringing them there's no room set up for them. I'll figure out where to put them once we get Leon and Letty settled."

Jesse jumped up in the truck and pulled Nicholas into his arms. It took a few minutes to get the boys settled. Both woke up when Jesse and Sky laid them on the couch. Caleb latched onto her neck and screamed every time she tried to lay him down. Finally, she bribed him with a cookie and a promise that she would be just outside the door. He gave in and sat on the couch nibbling on his cookie.

Seeing that Sky had her hands full with the kids, Jesse and Hector took care of getting Leon and Letty inside the house and into their beds. Sky went out to the truck to gather all the medical supplies they would both need during their recoveries. Eva had set them up with boxes of dressings, antibiotics, and pain relief. There were boxes upon boxes loaded into the truck. Sky grabbed a few, balanced them on top of each other, and slowly made her way to the house hopping to make it inside without dropping everything. She stepped through the door and ran right into Hector.

"Damn girl give me those before you hurt someone."

"Sorry."

"Yeah I know. Why don't you let Jesse and me get those, go check on your patients."

"Okay. Just put everything in the dining room. I take care of it from there." Sky headed to see Letty first. In the hallway she came face to face with an angry Vince. "Not now."

"Don't tell me not now. What the hell were you thinking running off like that? If you would have given me a chance I'd have thought of a way to fix things."

"Yeah right Vince, looks like you were too busy getting it on with Mia. So was it all you thought it would be."

"Don't fucking go there Sky."

"What testy about your new relationship? Could it be that you know she's just using you to get over Brian? You're just her rebound guy and sooner or later she'll push you aside for the next blond haired blue eyed surfer boy. Face it Vince, you're not her type."

"Bullshit. How the fuck do you know how she feels?"

"Please I saw how she was with Brian. Vince, he was her first do you know that?"

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Everything, she doesn't love you Vince. Someday that fact will sink in. But go ahead and play in your fairytale world until then." Turning her back to him, she walked away.

"Hey." His voiced bounced off the walls of the hallway.

"What?" She said without even turning to face him.

He wrapped his arms around her and whispered in her ear, "I missed you."

Sky put her hand on tops of his, "I missed you too."

"You need any help?"

"No V I think I have it handled. Get back to bed and we'll talk more in the morning."

"Goodnight Princess." Vince kissed her cheek and let her go.

She was amused by how fast his mood went from angry to sweet. He really was just a large teddy bear with a rough exterior. She dreaded what she had to do next. Deep inside she prayed that Letty would still be sedated and not ask her questions about Dom. The room was modestly decorated by Dom's choice. It had a simple bed and dresser. A ceiling fan moved the hot air around, but did little to cool the room. It was dark except for a tiny light emitted from a lamp on the dresser.

Her patient laid quietly on the bed. Sky drifted over to the bed and sat down beside Letty. She took Letty's wrist and checked her heart rate. A knock on the door startled Sky. Jesse walked in with a folder under his arm and a bag of supplies.

"Here's her chart doctor. I have also brought some supplies." Sky giggled at his humor. Enjoying the smile on her face he kept up the act. "What can I do to assist you Dr. Thomas?"

"Well you can begin nurse by handing me the chart and then you can tell me how much fluid is left in the IV bags." Sky took the folder from Jesse's outstretched hand and opened it. Inside she found handwritten notes by Eva telling her exactly what she needed to do. "Jess how are we on IV fluids?"

"There about half full."

"Good we don't need to change them yet. Hey where's Hector?"

"Hanging out in the living room with Vince and the boys. He wanted to wait until you finished with Letty so he could tell you goodbye."

"Well let me give her some antibiotics and check her wound then I'll be out."

"Ok Sky yell if you need me."

"Thanks Jess."

Sky watched him walk out and went back to reading the chart. She was nervous about giving the medication afraid she might kill Letty. If she didn't give her enough it wouldn't work and if she gave her too much she could hurt or kill her. Her hands were shaking as she placed the needle into the medicine bottle. With care she drew out the plunger and watched the liquid fill the syringe. The syringe was filled to the desired point and Sky pulled the needle from the bottle. The instructions told her to push the air out of the syringe. The medication was ready to be placed into the IV, but Sky hesitated worried that she had done something wrong.

"Why don't you do it already?" Letty spoke with a raspy voice.

"Damn you Letty. You scared the shit out of me. How long have you been awake?"

"A few minutes, now are you going to tell me how it is that I went to sleep in a hospital room and then woke up with you in some strange room."

"Well do you want the long version or the short version?"

"Short version cause I'm about to nod off again."

"Jess and I got arrested. Harry and Hector bailed us out and with some help from a few of the nursing staff at County we got you and Leon out."

"Damn girl how the hell did Hector and Harry pull all that off?"

"Beats the hell out of me, I'm just happy we're here."

"How come Dom isn't in here helping you?"

Sky looked away not wanting to answer.

"You better tell me."

"He's not here Let. We're not sure where he is." Sky waited for the tears to begin, but they didn't come. Letty didn't show any emotion at all. "As soon as we get settled we'll try to figure out where he could've gone."

"Don't worry about it. He doesn't want to be found. If he wanted to be here, he'd be here. This is typical Dom. It's always about him and what he wants."

"Maybe the border was too hot. He might be laying low for a while."

"I know him and this is the last place he'll come. I know where he went. He went to her."

"You think Dom went to another woman?"

"I know he did. He doesn't think I know. For the last four years he's been seeing her behind my back. I don't know why I just let it happen. Guess I didn't want to let him go."

"Seeing who?"

"Cecily."

The image of the girl flashed in Sky's memory. Cecily had been a neighborhood girl that Dom fell for back in the day. Sky had no idea what had happened to the relationship, but the look on Letty's face told her that it never really ended. "I'm sorry Letty."

"What do you have to be sorry about? I should've left him, but I stayed and he just kept breaking my heart. If we ever get out of this mess, it's over between us. I'm just going to go my own way." She took a deep, haggard breath. "Girl can you give me some pain killers along with that?"

"No problem." Sky pushed the antibiotics into the IV port and then pushed in the pain meds. She sat with Letty until she drifted off.

The guys were seated around a table in the living room playing cars with the boys. The scene was so cute with the big guys trying to explain every detail of the cars and the boys just wanting to wreck the cars into each other. "I hate to break this up but Hector you need to get back across the border and I need to get the little ones to bed."

"You're right I need to get home before my girl thinks I'm out with someone else. Might actually get me some if I get there early enough."

"TMI, TMI Hector. There are some things you should leave out of conversations."

He wrapped his arms around her waist and picked her up off the ground, "You know I'm sexy. Don't ya. Admit it you think I'm hot."

"Gross. Stop now before I get sick."

"Hey is that anyway to treat your hero." Hector put her feet back on the ground.

"You're right. Thank you for everything you did for us." She kissed him lightly on his cheek.

"I knew you liked me. You want this sexy body." Hector said lifting his shirt and exposing his abdomen.

She pushed him toward the door, "Go home Hector."

"I'm going Gorgeous. You take care of yourself. See ya guys." With one last wave he was out the door and gone from their lives. The team didn't know if they would ever see him or anyone else from LA again.

"Hey boys it's time for bed." A chorus of 'aw come on' came from both the boys and the guys. Sky would not be challenged though. "I said it's bedtime."

Jesse stood up and Nicholas followed him, "Where do you want to put the boys?"

"Well I guess we can put them in my and Leon's room."

Vince spoke up, "I got a better idea. Mia is not using her room so why don't you put them in there. The bed is big enough for the both of them."

"Good idea Vince. Come on Caleb, come to Sky." He ran to her waiting arms. "Do you want me to tuck you in?" Caleb nodded and Sky smiled at him.

The boys were more tired than they let on and we both sound asleep within a few minutes. Vince and Jesse went off to their respective bedrooms leaving Sky to herself. It gave her a moment to reflect on what had happened in the last few weeks. It didn't take long for the tears to fall. She had her family back, but their futures were uncertain and they would forever be on the run. That was no life and certainly bad for the little boys asleep in the other room. Unfortunately she had no plan or way to change things.

It was a no-win situation, but there was no time to sit on the couch and wallow in sorrow because in her bedroom was the man she loved and he needed her. She wiped her face and went into the bedroom. His breathing was soft and regular signaling a deep sleep. She ran over his vitals and injected antibiotics into his IV as she had done with Letty. A large chair sat in the corner diagonal from the bed. She took her place in the chair to watch over him.


End file.
